Within
by Elizzykay
Summary: Like the rest of them, Cleo had no clue who she was before or why she was in the Glade. Three years of the same thing, until the newest Greenie arrives and everything is flipped upside down. Now she must face the one thing that terrifies her the most. The Maze. ThomasXOC (slow burn)
1. Welcome to the Glade

**I recently went and saw Deepwater Horizon and my love for Dylan O'Brien was rekindled. Since it's still a while before season 6 of Teen Wolf, I've distracted myself with watching TMR and TSR over and over again, and got this idea.**

 **Just a small heads up: I am fully invested in this story as of right now, like I've been working on it for a couple weeks now and personally, don't think it's shit yet, but I get into these phases where I hate my writing and it kind of deflates my desire to write. I'm hoping that that doesn't happen to this story, because I actually do really like it. But, if updates start becoming fewer and fewer, don't fret! I will finish the story, it just might take me a while to get back into it. Like I said I have most of it written already so I should have regular updates, but just a heads up.**

 **I'm still deciding if I want to make it a romance story or not. If I do, then it wouldn't be until the sequel, that is if people like and enjoy this one enough for me to write the second one. Hope you guys enjoy. Feel free to leave a review and let me know what you think! Thanks! Xx**

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It all seemed like a terrible dream. She had woken up to the sound of alarms blaring, darkness surrounding her. A draft from beneath her did nothing for the sweat beading on her forehead and she pushed herself up onto her knees. Her arms shook, and she wanted vomit. Refusing to do so, she tried to adjust her eyesight to the world around her. Passing, faint lights presented the cage like contraption she had been placed in. Boxes lined the walls around her. A dingy smell filled her nostrils and she covered her mouth as another wave of nausea washed over her. A jolt sent her onto her side, creaking as her ribs slammed into the grated floor. A bright light above cut her wincing short and she stared wide eyed at the approaching ceiling. Fingers tangling into the floor, she buried her face in her arms and hoped for the best.

At some point everything stopped moving. Her heart was pounding in her ears and she continue to hide her face. Eyes staring downward, through the floor to the darkness below. The darkness she had just come from.

There was a thud to her left and her body tensed.

"Hey. Greenie."

Something nudged her side and she held her breath. There was a low murmur of voice above her. She couldn't help the stupid, 'am I dead' thought that ran through her mind as she tried to slow her thumping heart.

"Is he alive?" another voice, further away than the first, called out. _He? Who's he?_ She hadn't seen another person inside the cage, but then again, she hadn't been able to make out anything really.

She wasn't doing herself any good, hiding like this. You couldn't really call it hide per say, more or less, cowering. But she was terrified. Why couldn't she remember anything. How did she end up in this cage? Slowly and carefully, she lifted her head. Bright light blinded her, the dingy smell had been replaced with a mossy, earthy smell and the darkness had all but disappeared in the blinding light from above. She forced her eyes to open and rolled onto her back, staring up at the shadowing figure of whatever, or whomever, had kicked her just moments before.

"What the hell?" The figure shrank down closer to her, revealing the freckled face of a young boy. His eyebrows were quirked upward in a puzzled expression, his lips parted in a state of shock.

"Alby, take a look at this."

The boy staring down at her, rose back up and the light came rushing back in. Her hand rose to shield some of the light away and she was able to finally get a decent look around. Above her, stood four or five boys, all varying in age. They were covered in dirt, their clothes tattered and torn. Above them was a blue sky spotted with puffs of white clouds and the tops of trees. She jumped when another boy leapt down beside the first, coming to stand beside him. He was broader than the first, though shorter, and held himself with a sense of dignity and confidence. Undoubtedly the leader, and the one named Alby, he crouched beside her as she rose to a sitting position.

"What is it?" One of the boys above called out obnoxiously.

"Looks like we got ourselves a female Greenie." The new boy, Alby, gave a chuckle and reached out to her.

She pushed away from him, colliding against the far wall. She pulled her knees into her chest, trying to make herself as small as she could. Alby chuckled again, and retracted his hand, standing back up. He moved to his friend's side and gave him a nod.

"Let's start unloading, boys!" Eyebrows shouted over his shoulder and two more boys dropped down into the cage.

"You can stay there until you're ready to get out," Alby spoke the her once again, "But if I were you, I'd get ready sooner rather than later."

His statement knotted her stomach but she made no inclination of moving, following him with her eyes as he moved to help the others unloaded the boxes and crates that had arrived with her.

She had fallen asleep at some point, unsure what had made her so exhausted and was surprised to see that the sun had begun to set. The boys had long since gone about their day, doing whatever it was that they had been doing prior to her arrival. Every now and again, a head would appear from up above, the same head each time, belonging to a thin, shaggy haired boy. He never said anything, never made any move to harm her, just played babysitter while she hid. She wasn't sure if he had continued checking on her while she was asleep but didn't bother waiting around to see if he would return. Her body ached from her sitting position and her stomach growled with hunger. Maybe if she was quiet, she could sneak away without any one seeing her, gone before her babysitter would return.

Pushing off the floor, she stretched out her arms and legs, bones creaking and cracking under her skin. Moving to the edge, she had watched so many boys climb in and out of the cage from, she grabbed a hold of the ledge and attempted to pull herself up. But her arms were too weak, exhausted and sore and she dropped back down on the grated floor. She cringed at the sound that echoed around her, squeezing her eyes and hoping no one had heard her. She scanned above her, expecting to find the same shaggy haired face peering down at her. But when no one came, she let relief wash over her. Standing up once again, she dusted her hands off and moved towards the ledge again.

Again, she reached up and again she dropped onto her bottom with a grunt. She wasted no time leaping back onto her feet, and repeating the process, each time landing on her bottom again. Finally, she gave up, falling backwards and staring up at the sky above. Then, from the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of the sandy brown hair.

"Are you gonna just keep spying on me, or are you going help me out of this thing." She grunted, lifting herself of the floor once again.

She turned and waited expectantly for the head to reappear, hands resting on her hips. Eventually, the boy reappeared and gave her a grin, "Alby told me to leave you alone until you wanted to talk." She was stumped by the accent in his voice, another difference from the other two boys she had seen before.

He reached a hand down towards her, waiting for her to make her way over. She was hesitant to take his hand, but ultimately decided in the time it took her to get from where she stood to the side of the way he was currently leaning over to let him help. With combined effort, she was out of the cage in a matter of seconds, hands and knees digging into the soft ground beside him. She let out a long breath, lungs filling with the fresh air around her and blinked at the boy beside her. He watched her with a small smile, extended his hand out to her once again.

"I'm Newt."

She took his hand without hesitation this time and began to shake it when a realization struck her. Her face twisted into small horror and she pulled away, blinking.

"I-I don't remember my name."

This didn't seem to faze Newt, his kind smile remaining as he stood up, "None of us did the first time we arrived. It's fine. It'll come back to you eventually." He helped her to her feet, her eyebrows still furrowed in disbelief and confusion.

"How long is eventually?"

Newt shrugged, "Longest was a couple days. For the time being, you'll be Greenie. Alby will give you the tour tomorrow morning, then Winston, the Greenie before you, will get you settled in."

Before she could respond, a grinding noise startled them both. They turned and watched to large metal panels pull from the ground beneath them, coming together over the cage she had just been in. There was another, deeper grinding sound and then nothing.

She continued to stare at the metal panels, the place she had once been, and swallowed the lump in her throat. Taking a deep breath, she pushed her shoulders back and tried to hide the anxiety building in her chest. She looked over at Newt, who was staring at the spot as well, though he held no expression.

He met her gaze and jutted a thumb over his shoulder, "I'll show you where your hammock while be."

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 **Next chapter will start with the film, I'll try and incorporate lines and things from the book as well as some of my own stuff. Xx**


	2. Rise and Shine

It was like any other day in the maze. They woke up as the sun rose, stood in line for Frypan's hearty breakfast of leftover scraps from dinner and shuffled to their respective jobs. Cleo dug at the soft earth, hands covered in the brown substance, grumbling as it buried itself under her nails. She leaned back, brushing hair from her face for the hundredth time. She had pulled it back before she had begun working but it had long since started falling from the small band on the back of her head and into her line of sight. Her hands were far too dirty to fix it, so she let it alone, deciding to let it irritate her until her day was over. Beside her, Newt chuckled at her inconveniences, earning a scowl from the girl.

The day was interrupted by the familiar blare of an alarm. The box was returning. It was a week late by Cleo's calculations and they were running low on previsions. It wasn't a surprise to see everyone's head lift at the sound. In no time, everyone had stopped what they were doing and waited for the metal panels to open.

Cleo brushed off any excess dirt from her hands, following her companions to the forming crowd, glad to have a break. As she made her way to the front of the group, she found herself crossing her fingers. She'd been here a good three years, and even though she always got her hopes up, she was waiting for the moment, Gally would leap down into the box and call out that they had another girl. It seemed this time would be no different as light flooded into the box and another teenage boy was revealed. All the same, she leapt in behind Gally and began lifting the boxes up to waiting hands.

"Day one, Greenie." Gally's usual greeting began, Cleo could see his face, eyebrows raised, chest puffed to assert some extent of dominance. She glanced towards the newbie, and stopped in her tracks. She had seen him before. Her mind scraped for some kind of reasoning. She had never seen this kid before. There was no way. But something about him was so familiar. He hadn't noticed her staring, but other boys had. Someone bumped her side, pulling her attention away from the Greenie. Shaking away the weird feeling in her abdomen, she went back to work.

"Rise and shine." When she looked back, Gally was pulling the Greenie to his feet, brushing off his back for him before slapping a hand down hard on his shoulders.

"He looks like a Slopper to me," Someone mumbled as they helped him out into the Glade. Cleo didn't pay much attention anymore, moving to gather what she could in her arms and head to the kitchen. It was usually the same old routine. Greenie gets a few minutes to get their barrings and then Alby steps in to play party host and show them around.

She was almost plowed over seconds later as the Greenie came racing by. He was fast and she was impressed before he lost his footing and tumbled to the ground.

She chuckled along with the others, shaking her head as they began to cheer him on. Chuck came up beside her, carrying his weight in bedding and sacks and the two moved towards the buildings across the glade.

"You think he'll shuck his pants?" Chuck mumbled out. His tone held a tinge of embarrassment, and Cleo felt sorry for the little guy.

"Probably already has, kiddo. Go and drop that stuff off with Clint and Jeff. I'll see you at dinner okay?"

Chuck gave her a nod and headed away from her. She watched him go and stepped into the kitchens, placing the crates in the back corner. Lunch wafted through the air and into her nostrils and she couldn't help the curl of her lips. Her mind was still trying to piece together some kind of explanation to why she felt she knew the new boy but thankfully Frypan stepped inside, distracting her.

"Smells great, Fry." She spoke sarcastically at the cook making his entrance.

"You hate it so much, why don't you cook tonight." He shot back.

She barked out a laugh, retrieving an apple from one of the crates she had brought in, "What happened with Greenie?"

Frypan stood over the boiling pot, stirring the contents and added a few pinches of something before replying, "Alby locked him up. Just to calm him down," He glanced at her, "Did you see how fast he was going?"

Cleo nodded, "He's got legs that for sure. I'll see ya."

Dipping back out into the warm sunlight, Cleo scanned the Glade. Everyone had gone about their duties, clearing out the box and then returning to work like nothing had happened. Taking a couple more bites from her apple, she tossed the remaining core into the pig pen and headed back to the gardens.

Cleo spent most of the day, collecting firewood for the bonfire they would be having that night. She didn't mind the mundane, routine, covering the entire Glade for sizable tinder and wood with the other gardeners. Chuck had even pitched in to help, finding no other work anywhere else. It had taken a while to place the kid, seeming as he always found a way to mess everything up. But it wasn't his fault. He was clumsy and his stomach was too weak for the slaughterhouse. Cooking wasn't his strong suit and he had been decided too young to be a builder. He had been appointed to Slopper almost immediately. Cleo had managed to get him out of the disgusting work as much as she could, finding him other things to do around the Glade that benefited them.

"Got any jokes today, Cleo?" He asked, dropping his bundle of twigs onto the growing pile.

Cleo chewed on the inside of her cheek, eyes squinting as she tried to come up with something that would suffice, but knowing Chuck was a tough crowd, couldn't come up with anything good. Scrunching up her nose, she shook her head.

"Sorry, kiddo. Give me a couple hours, maybe I can come up with something by tonight."

Chuck just smiled back at her, unable to respond before his name was being called. Both turned to see Newt making his way towards them, waving the younger boy over. They met halfway, Cleo coming along just for curiosity.

"Alby wants you to get the Greenie his stuff. Hammock, blanket, cup, you know what to do. They're up the treehouse once you have everything."

Chuck nodded, glancing at Cleo as if waiting for permission to leave. Cleo smiled, ruffling his hair. It had been a whole three weeks since she had met him, but he had grown on her, found a soft spot in her heart. He jogged towards the sleeping quarters, leaving the older two teens alone.

"How's Greenie doing? Make a run for it again?"

"Seems to be doing fine. Asking a lot of questions. Disoriented. Just like we all were." Newt rested his hands on his hips, putting all his weight on one side.

"Well, since you took away two of our hands, mind helping us out for a bit? We're not anywhere close to having enough and it's already after noon." Cleo didn't wait for him to respond, tugging at his arm until he followed her back towards the tree line.

Cleo wouldn't have known the Greenie had gotten so close to the Maze entrance had she not see Gally's quick stride in her peripheral. She dropped her armful, knowing the expression he was wearing all too well and took off after him and his horde of building henchman. She had tried to reach him before he could get to the boy standing at the entrance but Gally had a pretty good head start on her. She had just passed Chuck when Gally shoved Greenie to the side.

"Hey!" Her voice cut through the air stern and sharp.

"We gotta stop meeting like this, Greenie." Gally growled, towering over the boy on the ground.

Cleo grabbed at his collar, attempting to pull him away. She had seen his little act a million times before. If his size weren't enough to intimidate the new Gladers, he had to add on the asshole personality as well.

The Greenie jumped at him defensively. Stunned at the response, Gally stumbled away, Cleo following suit. She pushed herself between the two, trying to divide them even further, but neither seemed to be backing down.

"Enough!" She shouted, finally able to push Gally away. She spun on the Greenie, holding up her hands defensively, "Just calm down, all right?"

"No, okay? Why won't you tell me what's out there?"

To her relief, Alby and the others had arrived. Moving her main focus from the Greenie to keeping Gally from getting hot headed, Cleo backed him even further away.

They all stopped as a huge gust a wind came barreling at them from inside the Maze. There was a moment of silence as they all stared down the long corridor, goosebumps rising on their arms and the hair standing on the back of their necks.

"What the hell?"

Cleo looked back at the Greenie, recognizing the look of utter disbelief and confusion washing over his face before Gally knocked into her shoulder.

"Next time, I'm gonna let you leave." He threatened, stalking away.

The rest of the group began to clear away, leaving Chuck and Cleo alone with the Greenie. He blinked at them, expecting an answer. Chuck just shrugged in return. Cleo stared back at him for a moment then dismissed herself as well, mumbling something about getting back to work.

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 **Chapter 2 is up! Enjoy and feel free to leave a comment! Xx**


	3. I Remember My Name

They hadn't waited as long to light the fire as they usually did. As soon as the first few stars appeared above them, Alby instructed the fire to be lit and the party to begin. Frypan rationed out small portions of food alongside Gally's special brew, a drink that even the oldest Gladers were still getting used to. Everyone seemed to loosen up, dividing into their groups, filling the night with loud laughter.

Cleo had found a comfortable spot beside the fire hanging out with Alby and Chuck, telling stories to the younger boy and laughing at his reactions. After Chuck had sucked himself into his little whittling project and Alby had moved on to talk to a couple other boys, Cleo excused herself. Just a little way away, sitting with their backs to the party, she found Newt and Greenie.

"Here. Put some hair on your chest." Newt handed over the jar of brown liquid over to his friend, who inspected it nervously.

Cleo watched with amusement as he took a long sip and then proceeded to spit it back out in front of him, choking and passing it back to Newt.

"What is that?" He coughed.

Newt laughed, taking another sip, "I don't even know. It's Gally's recipe. It's a trade secret."

"It definitely has an acquired taste." Cleo decided to join in then, plopping down beside Newt. He passed her the drink, which she took happily.

"Yeah, well, he's still an asshole." The Greenie grumbled, not trying to hide his hard feelings towards said Glader.

Newt and Cleo exchanged a look. He wasn't completely wrong. But while Gally could be an asshole, he was doing the right thing. If the Greenie had gone into the Maze, he would have been dead. In a totally dickish way, Gally was doing newbie here a favor.

"He saved your life today," Newt reasoned, "Trust me. The Maze is a dangerous place."

"We're trapped here, aren't we?" Greenie breathed, and a weight settled over the other two.

"For the moment," Newt agreed, taking back the drink, "But you see those guys? There, by the fire?" The trio turned to peer over the log, finding the group Newt was pointing at. They were sitting quietly to themselves, enjoying their own drinks and dinner. The boys were talking very animatedly with one another, while Minho sat quietly between them, scooping at his dinner plate. His eyes were cast out towards the rest of the crowd, taking it all in. Surveying.

"Those are the runners," He continued, "That guy in the middle there, that's Minho. He's the Keeper of the Runners. Every morning, when those doors open, they run the Maze, mapping it, memorizing it, trying to find a way out."

Cleo looked over at the Greenie, only to find him staring at her already, "How long have they been looking?"

The trio turned back around, relaxing against the log once again.

"Three years." Newt breathed.

"And they haven't found anything?"

Cleo chuckled at his incessant questions, "It's a lot easier said than done."

They sat silently for a moment, each staring at the large walls in front of them. In the dark, they looked almost daunting. Big, black masses that cornered them into the Glade, like the cage that had brought them up here in the first place. But they weren't meant to keep them inside. That's what Cleo told herself anyway. No, they were there to protect them from what lie just beyond them, hidden within the Maze. So, while they appeared terrifying, they gave Cleo the comfort and safety she needed. As if knowing the three were talking about it, the Maze began to move, shifting and changing like it did every night.

"Listen," Newt made sure to get the Greenie's attention, "Hear that? It's the Maze, changing. It changes every night."

Greenie shook his head in disbelief, "How is that even possible?"

"You can ask the people who put us in here, if you ever meet the bastards," Newt joked back, "Listen, the truth is, the runners are the only ones who really know what's out here. They are the strongest and the fastest of us all. And it's a good thing, too, because if they don't make it back before those doors close, then they are stuck out there for the night," He sighed, looking at Cleo briefly, "And no one has ever survived a night in the maze."

"What happens to them?" Greenie pushed.

Cleo elbowed Newt's side, signaling that it was enough for tonight. Too many questions could get them in trouble. And with how things were going with Greenie, maybe giving him too much information at once wasn't the best idea. But damn, he asked a hell of a lot of questions.

Newt either ignored her or didn't feel her protest, pushing himself up closer to the log, "Well, we call them Grievers."

Cleo threw her head back, rolling her eyes, and lifted the drink from Newt once again to take another long swig.

"Of course, no one's ever seen one and lived to tell about it," Newt continued, "But they're out there."

Greenie swallowed, looking back towards the Maze. Having enough, Cleo took it into her own hands to change the subject.

"Right, that's enough," She slapped a hand down on Newt's leg and pushed herself up, "Come on," she moved around him, extending a hand out to the Greenie, "You're supposed to be the guest of honor."

He shook his head in protest, looking to Newt for help. When the boy gave him none, he returned to shaking his head up at the girl. She didn't budge, leaning down to grab his arm and yank him up, "No! No, come on. Let me show you around. Come on."

With a wave to Newt, she dragged Greenie away and back towards the party.

They weaved themselves through the groups of boys, dodging flailing limbs and clumsy steps backwards. Cleo had let go of Greenie once they had reached the others but he made a point to stay at her side as she guided him.

"And there we've got the builders," She pointed to the three boys off to the side, talking amongst themselves, "They're very good with their hands," A smile spread across her face as she tapped her temple, "But not a lot going on upstairs."

Greenie nodded along with her, smiling back at her subtly before she moved them on to the next group.

"And then we've got Winston. He's the Keeper of the Slicers," Her attention turned quickly to the two boys walking past them, "And we've got two Med-Jacks, Clint and Jeff."

Both boys waved as their names were called respectively, giving the new kid a nod before continuing on their way.

Cleo elbowed him, leaning in to add, "They spend most of their time bandaging up the Slicers."

Greenie wasn't paying attention though, his eyes drifting to the runners sitting by themselves. Cleo could tell what he was thinking before he could even say anything and shook her head. Elbowing him once again in the side, she gave him a pointed look.

"You don't want to be a runner," When he opened his mouth to protest, she continued on, "Besides, you gotta get chosen."

His eyebrows furrowed together and he turned to face her completely.

"Chosen by who?"

Before an answer could be given, Greenie was shoved forward, almost tackling Cleo to the ground. She steadied her footing, grabbing onto him to keep him from falling as well and tried to see who had shoved him. Another kid, Jack or Jake, she couldn't remember, was stumbling to the side, waving an apology as Gally stepped up.

"What do you say, Greenie?" He tempted, pushing the sleeves of his shirt up further. Cleo let go of the Greenie, stepping back in line beside Chuck, a small smile playing on her lips.

"Wanna see what you're made of?"

Cleo could deny the amusement she got out of watching Gally pick on kids he knew had no chance against him. She found it a little morbid, her thinking it was fun, but it only solidified the image she had of Gally in her head. He presented himself stronger than he was. First sign of real danger and he'd turn tail and run. But tonight, against the newcomer, he was top dog. She didn't hesitate egging on the Greenie along with everyone else, cheering as he obliged and followed Gally into the makeshift ring.

"The rules are simple, Greenie," Gally bounced on his toes, "I try to push you out of the circle, you try to last more than five seconds."

Someone called out for Gally to take it easy, but it seemed to fall on deaf ears. The two boys in the circle stared at each other, neither hiding the emotions they were feeling. While Gally bounced confident, Greenie was practically shaking. Cleo almost hoped Gally would get his ass handed to him. Just once.

Within seconds, Gally had rushed his opponent, shoving him into a couple of boys, who pushed him back and had him on the ground. The boys around them whooped and hollered, high-fiving each other. Greenie laid on the ground for a moment before pushing back up to his feet.

"Come on, Greenie. We're not done yet." Gally teased, pacing like a wild animal in his corner.

"Stop calling me that." Greenie spit back.

The group 'oohed' in response. Chuck latched on to Cleo out of excitement, his smile beaming up at her as he laughed along with the others before becoming engrossed in the fight once again.

"Stop calling you that?" Gally chuckled, "What do you wanna be called? Shank? What do you think, boys?" He turned around to the crowd, "Does he look like a Shank?"

They erupted again in a chorus of agreement, even Cleo, who bit her tongue to stop laughing when the Greenie shot her a glance. She saw the irritation grow in his expression and gasped when he charged Gally, grabbing onto his shoulders. They twisted in each other's arms for a moment before Gally was able to throw him backwards. Greenie tumbled to the ground, rolling at bit.

"You know what? I think I've settled on Shank." Gally triumphed.

He was getting cocky, pointing at members in the crowd, showing off to anyone that cared. Cleo rolled her eyes. Greenie stood back up, hands clenching and unclenching at his sides. They looked at one another and she patted her hips. Greenie glanced from her to Gally, before understanding what she meant. Racing forward, he ducked and caught Gally by his sides, locking on tightly. Gally pushed back, having the upper hand in the weight department but Greenie was smarter. Dropping his shoulder, he ducked away from Gally's push, sending the boy to the ground. A gasp rippled through the crowd, all eyes on the newbie.

"Not bad for a Greenie, huh?" The boy stood over Gally triumphantly.

Irritated and slightly embarrassed, Gally rolled over, taking the boy out with his feet. Greenie hit the ground with a hard thud, his head slamming against the sand. The others cringed and sighed. Gally stepped out of the circle, out of breath and clearly the winner. As the crowd began to disperse once again, however, Greenie jumped up.

"Thomas!" He shouted, the group looking at one another.

"I remember my name. I'm Thomas!"

There was a brief moment of silence before Alby called out and they crowded around the Greenie once again. They took turns patting him on the back, Frypan even brought him another cup of the horrible tasting liquid. He took a big gulp from it, either out of excitement or just pure thirst.

But Cleo stayed were she was. Her feet seemed frozen to the ground, immobile as her head wrapped around the name. _Thomas_. She knew that name. _Thomas_.

"Good job, _Thomas."_ Gally shook his hand, a sign of some kind of truce, when a sound erupted from within the Maze.

Cleo blinked, noticing Chuck's hand latching onto her own. It wasn't anything new. It had plagued many of their nightmares. But it seemed louder this time. Closer than it had ever been before. The rest of the boys seemed to have noticed as well, quieting down and staring out at the Maze.

"What was hell was that?" Thomas breathed, eyes widened slightly in terror.

"That my friend," Gally placed a hand on his shoulder, "Is a Griever."

Seeing the obvious discomfort in his expression, Newt came up on Thomas's other side, "Don't worry, you're safe here with us. Nothing gets through those walls."

Chuck seemed to hear this as well, and while his hand stayed locked with Cleo's, he did loosen his grip, clearing his throat. She smiled down at him, ruffling his hair.

"All right, guys," Alby's voice boomed through the night, "Let's tuck it in for the night."

Boys moaned and groaned but all the same, began cleaning up the mess they had made. Stragglers stayed behind to congratulate Thomas one last time before milling about back to their hammocks.

After sending Chuck off to bed, Cleo started helping Frypan put away dinner scraps. She helped put out the remaining fire and pack up any drinks left over, saving them away for the next bonfire. She wasn't sure if she was happy to see that Thomas had stayed around to help, doing whatever he could to get things cleared away so they could go to bed faster, but she tried to pretend the knot in her stomach was nonexistent. As the remaining kids lumbered back to bed, stifling yawns and rubbing at their eyes, she found herself falling in step beside him.

There wasn't a word spoken between them but it was a comfortable silence. Cleo stared down at her shoes, yawning. Her eye lids were heavy and she couldn't wait to get into her bed. Thomas didn't seem to mind the silence either, yawning himself. When they reached the hammocks, they parted ways.

"Goodnight, Thomas." She smiled, finding it odd to hear the name roll off her own tongue.

He smiled back, "Goodnight -" furrowing his eyebrows together, he tried to remember if she had given her name.

"Cleo." She lended and he gave her a small nod.

"Goodnight, Cleo."

As she crawled into her hammock, she knew sleep was a lost cause. At least, for now. And after dark, there wasn't much to do, except stare at the roof above you and listen to the sounds of the Glade and Maze. It had become almost like a lullaby, listening to the Maze change. She missed it from time to time. Being out there. Running. It had been two years since she had last stepped foot in the Maze, but it felt like only days ago. She absentmindedly rubbed the scar on her wrist, finger tips cold against the tender skin. And then another thought crossed her mind. One that she hoped she would be able to keep at bay. It had weaseled itself inside her mind, marked it's territory and decided it would say a while.

 _Thomas_.

But that was it. There was nothing else for her to go off of. She just replayed the moment she say him in the box over and over again. The moment he leapt up and presented his name to the rest of the Gladers. But nothing that could help ease her mind. Just his name. And his face.

Finally, sleep got the best of her and she curled in on herself, falling asleep to the changing Maze and snoring boys.

" _You must be careful, my little bean." The voice she had heard many times in her dreams, had wafted itself into her mind as she slept._

 _It was nurturing, and it didn't take her long to figure out it was her mother. But while she had heard it many times in her sleep, memorized the tone, she still couldn't put a face to the name. And so, the woman remained faceless, Cleo finding comfort in the voice that floated through out and reassured her, even if it was her own mind playing tricks on her._

 _But something was different about tonight. While, the dreams usually consisted of visions of the glade or even sometimes just darkness, this dream was tented blue. She felt suspended, light like a feather. And the voice seemed vivid, missing the usually airy tone she had come to associate it with._

" _It's too dangerous for you to be acting this way." Her mother scolded._

 _Then another voice broke through, one she hadn't heard in a long time but knew instantly._

" _I can't watch them go through this. Not anymore. They're my friends."_

 _It was her own. Younger, but still her own. The room around her was becoming brighter, too bright. As if the light was rushing towards her, filling the spaces around her._

" _Promise me you won't do anything." The familiar echo in her mother's voice seemed further away._

 _And then, for only a split second, eyes flashed in front of her. Wide, brown eyes, framed by thick lashes. She knew them. She had seen them before. She called out to her mother, heard her reply, though the words fell into the air around her and were lost before they reached her. Then, growing as it neared, came the sound of an alarm. It had been ages since she had heard it. The sound of her new life beginning. The bright light faded into darkness and a pressure rested on her chest._

 _For a moment she thought she was falling, then came the rising feeling, the alarm still blaring in her ears. And then everything stopped. The suspended feeling returned, but this time it wasn't pleasant. This time, she felt constricted. Her lungs were burning, she could feel her heartbeat slowing. It felt as if she were drowning._

She woke in a cold sweat, gasping for air and gripping at her chest. Around her, boys snored, unaware of their friend's predicament. It was just now dawn, the sunlight barely visible over the Maze walls. Taking in deep breaths, she laid back down, staring up at the roof. The burning feeling had disappeared, but the dream were still vivid in her mind. Her mother, warning her. The eyes. The familiar brown eyes.

* * *

 **So this chapter is a lot longer than the others, but halfway through writing the entire story, I've decided to change things up a bit, so I'm adding and deleting a bunch and this chapter got away from me. I, personally, like this chapter and I hope you guys too. Thank you to everyone who is reading this. As always, enjoy and don't be afraid to leave a comment!**


	4. He's been stung

"Rise and shine, sleepyhead. Got work for you to do _._ " Newt's voice startled her awake. She blinked wildly, arms flailing around a bit before she became aware of her surroundings. She wasn't sure when she had fallen asleep again.

Groaning inwardly, she pushed out of her hammock and pulled on her shoes. She was surprised to see the sun was already pretty high in the sky, not a cloud in sight. The rest of the Gladers were roaming about, doing their daily routine.

"You let me sleep in?" She asked, keeping up with Newt as he led her towards the eastern wall.

"Alby told us to." He replied with a simple shrug.

Cleo went to work tying her hair back away from her face, already feeling the heat of the sun on her back, "Alby told you too? You should have just woken me up. What do you need me to do?"

"Zart and I are working on the greenhouse, Alby wants it done by tomorrow night. Thomas's has been helping out, but it would be nice to have some experienced hands helping," Newt directed her to where Zart and Thomas were currently standing, "Alby said you were awake most of the night. He'd rather have you working well rested than up and cranky," she stuck her tongue out at him, "Plus, Tommy's been asking a million questions. I'm going to gouge my eyes out."

Cleo laughed, walking beside him, "He's just curious is all. He'll get over it all soon enough and things will be fine. Maybe if you and Alby weren't so cryptic about things all the time and gave him straight answers, he's leave you alone."

The pointed look she gave him was met by an eye roll. The conversation ended when they reached the others. At least verbally anyway. There would be many sideways glances and exaggerated expressions passed back and forth between the two before the day was over.

Zart looked almost too relieved to see Newt returning with Cleo, already tossing a spool of twine at her.

"Morning, sleeping beauty."

She caught the string and stuck out her tongue.

"Has anyone tried climbing to the top?"

Newt shot Cleo a glare. She held back her laugh and turned back to her section of the greenhouse. Newt let out a small sigh before answering.

"Tried it. The ivy doesn't go all the way to the top. And besides, where are you gonna go from there?"

"And what about the box?"

Cleo let a laugh slip, already feeling Newt's eyes burning into the back of her head. He might be the cool and calm one but she enjoyed it more when he was moody and annoyed one. It was far more entertaining to hear his sarcastic remarks.

"You know, next time it comes up-"

Newt cut him off this time, "No, we tried that. The Box won't go back down with someone in it."

"Okay," Thomas pushed, "What if we-"

"No, we tried it, all right?"

"Twice." Zart and Cleo added for emphasis, smirking at each other.

"All right? Trust me. Anything you think of, we've already tried. The only way out of here is through the Maze," Newt explained, "Now, look, you wanna be helpful? Here," He tossed him a small shovel, "Go dig us up some more fertilizer."

Cleo bit the inside of her cheek. Thomas opened his mouth to protest but she was already shoving a bucket his way, "Just go get the fertilizer."

"Are you sure, guys? I can't help in any other way?"

"No, just get the fertilizer," She repeated, "And Chuck, what are you doing sitting around? Find some work, we all gotta pull our weight around here." She snapped at the boy getting his attention and then jutted a thumb over her shoulder.

He grumbled, pushing off the log he had been sitting on and pocketed whatever his little project had been.

"Says the girl who just slept half the day."

The other three boys couldn't help but chuckle at his response while Cleo stood gob smacked. She swatted at his forehead, earning a wince of momentary pain and then Chuck picked up his pace. Turning back to Thomas, she raised her eyebrows.

"What? Waiting for me to swat you upside the head. Get going." He raised his hands defensively, backing away before turning and heading towards the trees.

It didn't take long for them to hear the cries for help from inside the forest. Contrasting greatly from the normal sounds of a working day, every head in the Glade lifted and turned towards the noise, watching as Thomas came barreling through the trees, Ben on his heels. Without hesitation, the Gladers had dropped what they were doing, rushing to Thomas's aid as Ben tackled him to the ground.

They struggled against one another, Thomas crying out in pain and panic as Ben spit threats at him. Cleo didn't have to get any closer to see what was happening. Grabbing a hold of Chuck, who had come running with Frypan, she kept him on the sidelines letting the others come rushing by. Newt reached the two first, swinging his hoe back and knocking Ben across the face. The boy tumbled off Thomas, and boys were on him in an instant, pinning him to the ground. Thomas scrambled away, knocking into Cleo and Chuck as Alby appeared.

"What the hell happened?"

"He just attacked me!" Thomas defended, panting.

"Are you okay?" Cleo examined him quickly, finding the only visible wound to be the puncture marks on his wrist. He gave her a small nod, chest rising and falling.

"Calm down, Ben."

"Lift his shirt," Alby spoke steadily, "Lift his shirt!"

Gally reached forward, pulling at the thin fabric to reveal a disgusting puncture wound. Blue and black veins danced away from the wound, disappearing into his pasty white skin. Everyone, besides Thomas, knew what it meant.

"He's been stung." Cleo breathed, latching on to her younger friend once again.

Gally looked at her before turning to Alby, aspirated, "In the middle of the day?"

Ben had started to sob now, the dangerous look in his eyes had subsided some to a look of fear and pain. He was still struggling with the boys holding him down but it had become less threatening and more panicked. Cleo felt her heart sink.

"Please," He begged, "Please, help me. Help me."

Alby didn't look at him. Instead, he ordered him to be placed in the pit, turning away as they pulled him to his feet and towards the pits. Once he was far enough away, the others scattered, most going off to their designated jobs while other returned to their hammocks. It seemed a reasonable excuse for taking the day off. Cleo pushed Chuck in front of her, asking Frypan if lunch was ready and lead the boy to get his eating utensils.

When they reached the hammocks, she noticed that Thomas had followed. He flopped down on the bench just beside Chuck's bed, running his hands over his face with a deep sigh. When his hands dropped back down onto his legs, he winced. Twisting his arm over, he revealed his, minor, battle wounds. Cleo noticed and caught Jeff's attention as he passed, waving him over.

"Nothing major, but he needs to be bandaged up."

"I'm on my way to Ben, Alby's orders. Can it wait?" Jeff replied apologetically.

Thomas nodded, tucking his wrist into him. He had caused enough trouble already; he wasn't really asking for any extra attention.

"I'll do it. Just a simple wrap, right? Can't be that hard." Cleo offered.

Jeff left a small white bandage and some of the sticky substance they had concocted to hold things in place before moving on. While Chuck busied himself with a distraction, Cleo bent down in front of Thomas and motion for his wrist.

He was hesitant at first, thinking of an excuse to him being fine. But she was just as diligent as she was last night at the party. Reaching forward, she grabbed his forearm, careful not to touch his wrist and pulled it towards her. He watched her intently as she worked wrapping the bandage. Her hands were just as rough and calloused as the rest of the boys, and he had seen how hard she worked these last two days. Needless to say, he was shocked by how gentle her touch was. She made sure that the bandage was tight enough to keep from slipping, but didn't put any excess pressure on the wound and looked up at him. He stared down at her, and the knot in her stomach returned. She fixated on his eyes. His brown eyes. The same eyes she had seen in her dreams last night.

"You okay?" Alby made her jump, tearing her eyes away from the curious Thomas.

The boy just nodded, tucking his wrist away once again. Cleo stood up, gathering the medical equipment scattered around her. Alby took a seat next to Thomas. His eyes held exhaustion and his shoulders were tense. But so were Thomas's. And Chuck's. And the more she thought about it, so were hers. She took a deep breath, trying to relieve some of her stress, only for her eyes to trail over to the pits. Minho was squatted over one of the doors, Jeff and Clint standing to the side.

"So what happened to him?" Thomas's voice pulled her attention away just as Minho stood up and stormed off.

Alby rubbed the bridge of his nose, "It's called 'The Changing'. It's what happens when someone gets stung," Thomas nodded in understanding, and Alby continued, "Listen, we haven't been able to get a clear word out of Ben since it happened. He's not making any sense. And it's only gonna get worse. The infection is spreading. He's dangerous," Alby's voice dropped lower, "What did he say to you."

Cleo found herself subconsciously stepping forward, not wanting to miss whatever Thomas was going to say.

Thomas swallowed, hands wringing together to hide the fact that they were trembling, "He said he saw me," Alby glanced at Cleo, "And that this was all my fault. How could this be my fault?"

The four looked at one another, waiting for someone to say something. Anything. Thankfully, Alby cleared his throat and gave Thomas a reassuring pat on the back, "Get some rest."

And then he was standing, walking away again. The response didn't exactly end the conversation but his dismissal had. The three watched him leave, before Thomas turned to his friends.

"What's going to happen to him?"

Cleo heaved a sigh, "It's better you just wait than any of us try to explain it. Come on, Chuckie," She patted the young boys shoulder, "Let's go get some lunch."

* * *

 **Thank you so much for the wonderful reviews and for favoriting and following the story! I'm glad to see that people are enjoying it! Xx**


	5. A Night In the Maze

She hated this part. It used to happen more frequently when she had first arrived, but they had taken extra precautions and calculated everything, planned around the horrible creatures that hunted them outside the walls since then. But no matter how many times she witnessed it, it never got easier. She had, however, stayed in the back, finding that it wasn't as intense if she could barely see what was happening. Chuck had stayed by her side for most of the day, his usually upbeat attitude gone. He hadn't spoken since the incident, and she couldn't blame him. As the last few straggling Gladers gathered around the Maze entrance, Thomas came up beside her. They looked at one another only briefly before the sounds of Ben sobbing and pleading interrupted.

It broke Cleo's heart watching Minho lead his friend towards the inner circle. Ben's hands were bound uncomfortably behind his head, and he dropped to his knees without restraint. Minho ignored his sobbing, cutting away the ties and stepping to the side. Around them the Gladers stood with long poles. Alby and the other Keepers had flat ends to them, easier to guide Ben, while the others on each side, ended in a sharp point.

The sound of the walls beginning to close had never sounded so menacing. Cleo swallowed the lump in her throat, watching the boys lower their sticks, directing them towards the sobbing teen still begging from the ground. Ben staggered to his feet. His sobs only grew louder and more persistent.

"Move in!" Alby bellowed and the boys stepped forward. Ben stumbled backwards, his hands reached out to the closer walls as if he was trying to push them back, give himself more time.

Chuck turned away, heading back towards the hammocks. Cleo and Thomas looked at one another again before she turned on her heels and jogged to catch up the boy.

She wrapped an arm around his shoulders, pulling him into her.

"It'll be okay." She hummed, expecting no response from her friend.

The doors closed finally behind them and Ben's sobs vanished. They were left with the heavy blanket that laid over them for the rest of the night. The rest of the Glade seemed to have the same idea. Work was put off until the next morning, Frypan made a quick dinner, and everyone settled in early. Cleo had offered to sleep beside Chuck that night, knowing he was too proud to ask her and settled into a pallet on the ground next to his hammock. It had been his first time witnessing a banishment, and if she was speaking honestly, it was one of the worst ones. Usually they were silent, stepping into the Maze with little restraint, coming to terms with their fate. Most didn't even make it to the banishment stage. She had just wished they could have done something, anything to save Ben.

"Do you think he might make it?" It had been quiet for a long while, soft snores from the surrounding sleeping boys and some of the usual nightly noises. Thomas's voice seemed out of place against the silence.

Cleo pushed up onto her elbows to see him, just barely able to make out his silhouette in the dark, "Ben? No," She didn't have to think about it, "No one survives a night in the Maze. We just have to forget about him."

She knew the gears were twisting and turning in his mind, even if she couldn't see him and laid back down, rolling onto her side, "Get some sleep, Thomas." And then she closed her eyes, hoping that by the next morning, she would be able to forget about everything that had happened.

"But why would Alby go into the Maze?" Thomas asked, receiving groans from his surrounding friends.

They knew Thomas was gonna be a little more than curious about yesterday's event, but the constant relay of questions was getting to be annoying. And while Newt and Zart hacked away at the stump, Thomas sat off to the side, beside Chuck, staring out at the Maze.

"Alby went to retrace Ben's footsteps before sundown." Newt clarified for the hundredth time, "Are you gonna help?"

Either ignoring the question or not hearing it, Thomas continued to push, "So he's gonna go back to where Ben was just stung- "

"Alby knows what he's doing, all right?" Newt snapped, "He knows better than any of us."

"What does that mean?"

Newt groaned inwardly, leaning against his shovel, "Well, it's like you have heard, yeah? Every month, the Box sends up a new arrival. But someone had to be first, right? Someone had to have spent a whole month in the Glade, alone," He gave Thomas a pointed look, "That was Alby. I mean, it can't have been easy. But when those other boys started coming up, one after the other, he saw the truth. And he learned that the most important thing, is that we all have each other. Because we're all in this together."

For a moment, Thomas was silent and Newt thought he had finally gotten to the boy. But as he returned to chopping at the wood, Thomas turned back to him.

"What about Cleo? Why did she go?"

Newt didn't stop this time but rolled his eyes all the same, "Cleo used to be a runner. She understands the Maze and Alby trusts her. Besides, none of the other runners were up to going back to the place Ben got stung. She knows what she's doing."

Thomas pursed his lips, eyes drifting back to the Maze entrance on the other side of the Glade. He found himself worrying about the girl, or maybe all three of them. Glancing back at Newt, he gave up trying to talk and pushed off the log he shared with Chuck. Grabbing a machete, he dropped to his knees and began working alongside the other two boys.

"There you go, Greenie." Newt praised earnestly.

They had just lined up for lunch when rain started to fall. Clearing away anything that the water could potentially harm, they huddle with one another under any kind of shelter. Thunder crackled above them. Minho, Alby, and Cleo hadn't returned yet but it didn't seem to be fazing any of the other Gladers. Thomas, on the other hand, couldn't pull his eyes away from the Maze.

He had found the best place to stand under cover where he could see the entrance, eyes only blinking if they absolutely had to. Behind him, Newt was standing silently. He too was watching for his friends, but his shoulders weren't as rigid and every now and then, his mind would wander somewhere else.

Thomas's fingers drummed impatiently against the pillar he was leaning against, one leg bouncing beneath him, "They should be back by now," He turned to his friend, "What happens if they don't make it?"

Newt gave him a small smile, reassuring him, "They're gonna make it."

Thomas didn't seem convinced, pushing his question once more, "What if they don't make it?"

This time Newt's face held a seriousness.

"They're gonna make it." He repeated.

Thomas wasn't sure if he was trying to reassure him or himself.

Cleo's head was pounding. Sweat had begun to drip from her forehead, running down her face and mixing with the dirt that had caked itself on her cheeks. Her legs were burning, her heart thumping wildly in her chest. Grunting, she adjusted Alby's arm around her shoulders.

"Minho-" She groaned, struggling to keep the boy up as they retraced their steps through the Maze.

Minho gritted his teeth on the other side, lifting Alby up more on his end. His arm was wrapped around the older boy's waist, supporting more of his weight than Cleo was.

"We're almost there. Just around this corner."

Cleo raked her brain trying to figure out where they had gone wrong. Repeating the morning over and over in her head. Everything had been fine, until they reached the spot Ben had been the day before. It was quiet, like it was most days in the Maze and the idea of seeing a Griever seemed almost laughable. Though she hadn't been in the maze for a good two years or so, she had never heard a Griever, nor seen one in broad daylight. She wasn't even sure what to exactly expect as they rounded the corner.

But what they did find wasn't what she was expecting at all. The creature looked like a giant spider, covered in a sticky slime that smelled rancid and metallic. While it's body was soft and looked almost doughy, it's legs were mechanical. They clicked against the ground as it turned on them. They weren't quick enough to get away from the swinging tail, watching as it struck at Alby. But as they turned to run, expecting to be chased down by the monster and killed, they found it didn't leave the small area they had found it in. Instead, it let out a hiss and that was the end of things. Still, they wasted no time, high-tailing it back to the Glade.

They weren't even half way back when Alby started acting strange. His body tensed and he spit hurtful threats at his companions. It got to the point that while he had Cleo cornered, Minho came up and struck him on the head. Alby's eyes rolled back and he crumbled to the ground in an unconscious heap.

That brought them to where they were now, dragging their unconscious, injured friend at a quarter of the pace they had arrived with. The sun had already begun disappearing behind the walls and Cleo's hope was dwindling.

"Just keep moving." Minho had stated, using what little energy he had left to try and pick up the pace. Cleo tried to keep up, but with her aching body and broken spirits, she wasn't being as much help as she could be.

It wasn't until they rounded the last corner and the familiar expansion of the Glade appeared, that hope began to return. Standing in the entrance was the rest of the Gladers. Their faced held worried expressions, no doubt nervous for their friends to return. Worry turned to panic as the familiar sound of the walls beginning to shift and the doors beginning to close echoed around them.

"Come on!" Chuck shouted out, causing the others boys to begin doing the same.

Panic set in and Cleo's brain raced for a solution.

"New plan," She grunted, ducking out from underneath Alby's arm, "Grab his legs, I'll get his arms. Hurry!"

Minho wasted no time doing as she said, placing Alby's upper half in her arms and swiftly lifting his legs. But it didn't little to help their pace. If anything, it seemed to slow them down.

"We're not gonna make it." Cleo clarified, looking Minho in the eyes.

He nodded his head to the side, dropping Alby's legs, "Go! Run!"

Cleo's mouth fell open, "There's no way in hell I'm leaving you out here alone."

"Go!" Minho screamed again.

Cleo wanted to argue with him, but before she could, commotion behind him caught her eye. She stepped to the side just in time to see Thomas struggling to push his way through to them. Her eyes widened in horror as the doors closed around him, twisting him until he all but threw himself into the Maze. And then, just like that, they closed completely and the Glade disappeared, taking the faces and voices of her friends with it.

Dropping to the ground, Cleo pressed her back against the wall. Alby laid unconscious at her feet, skin pale and drenched in sweat. His head was bleeding from where Minho had hit him, but she knew it was nothing compared to what hid under his shirt. She blamed herself. For not being more aware. For not being quick enough. Pulling her knees up to her chest, she looked away from her dying friend and to the other two boys beside her.

"What happened to him?" Thomas crouched over Alby, glancing between her and Minho.

"What does it look like?" Minho panted, "He got stung."

Thomas swallowed dryly, "What happened to his head?"

Minho looked to Cleo, "I did what I had to do."

And then he was up on his feet. Stepping around Alby, he moved towards Cleo, reaching out for her to grab his hand. Once she had, he lifted her to his feet, giving her a questioning look that she replied to with a silent nod. It was life or death now. More or less, life until death. She knew their chances of survival were slim. But she wasn't going to die easily.

Giving Alby one last, heartbroken look, she began to follow Minho back into the Maze.

"Hey, wait," Thomas called out to them and when she turned back around, his expression was full of hurt, "We can't just leave him."

Minho looked to the girl. They shared another silent conversation, before returning. Helping Thomas lift the limp boy up, they drug him to the wall. It had been easier carrying him with three people and Cleo found herself wishing Thomas had been with them in the first place. Maybe they would have made it then.

"We gotta go." Minho bounced on his toes, eyes darting down the corridors around them. Throughout the Maze, walls began to changing, shifting and grinding.

"We gotta go." He repeated, already pulling at Cleo's arm.

Thomas, still bewildered by their actions, spun around on them, "What are you talking about? We gotta hide him."

"Where?" Cleo threw out her arms, scoffing at their predicament.

"Are you telling me there's not a single place we could take him?"

Minho lunged at him, pinning him against the wall by his collar, "Listen to me, Shuck-Face, all right? Take a look around. There's nowhere to go!" Cleo pulled him away, "You don't get it. We're already dead."

"We have to try." Thomas stayed headstrong, looking to Cleo for support.

She had to look away. The guilt she was feeling already was enough to kill her. Deciding to leave Alby to his own defenses was even more guilt to add on. Knowing that Minho, and now Thomas, were going to die, was icing on the cake. Blinking back stressful tears, she lifted her head upwards. The sun had disappeared, small stars littering the sky above. The leaves on the vines rustled in the wind that twisted its ways freely through the maze and an idea struck her. Pushing past Minho, she moved to the opposite wall and grabbed at the thickest vine she could find. Giving it a tug, she turned to others.

"Bring him over here." She instructed.

A few minutes later, they had rigged Alby up in a tangle of vines, lifting him until his feet were level with their foreheads. Cleo stood guard, pacing back and forth behind them, checking down the corridors for any signs of Grievers. So far, it had just been changing walls that had spooked her, but she knew it wouldn't last long.

She was standing beside Thomas, when something caught Minho's attention and he side-stepped to the left. Eyes widening some, he became antsy again.

"We gotta go," He pushed, but Thomas was still tugging at the rope, "We gotta go now!"

"No, no, just a little more and we'll tie it off. Minho, stay with me." Thomas voice was strained but he was serious, looking at him for assurance that he wouldn't leave them, "Just a little more. We're almost here."

But Minho ignored him. Dropping his end of the rope, he raced around him, apologizing to the Greenie and grabbing ahold of Cleo. Before she could protest, he was pulling her down the corridors, away from Thomas and away from their friend. As much as she wanted to turn around, go back and help Thomas, the familiar cry of the Griever behind them, propelled her forward even faster. She didn't stop even when Minho let go of her arm. She prayed that Thomas wouldn't do anything stupid, trembling at the thought of potentially never seeing him again.

* * *

 **I finished the rest of the story last night and I'm debating on starting the sequel today. Here is Chapter five! Hope you guys are still enjoying. Thank you for all the kind reviews, especially you BookRain! I get so excited when I see you've reviewed! Hopefully you continue to enjoy the story and where Cleo and her character go! Xx**


	6. It's A Girl

"We have to go back." She panted, taking the last sip of her water and tossing the canteen to the ground.

They had stopped running for a moment, lungs burning. She had thrown up her breakfast, and then some and her legs were begging her to sit down. But she knew she couldn't. Instead, she let the wall hold her weight for a moment, staring at Minho with tired eyes.

"We have to find Thomas. Alby. We should have never left them alone."

Minho didn't say anything for a long time. He didn't look at her. He didn't even acknowledge her.

Then finally, he turned around. Picking up her canteen, he handed it back to her. She took it, tucking it into her backpack and followed him back the way they had come.

They seemed to only be getting further into the Maze when they finally heard the Griever's familiar growl. Cleo stopped Minho, listening to the commotion that seemed to be coming from the other side of the wall to the left of them. Then came Thomas's voice, yell rather, and Cleo took off, twisting around corners until the Griever seemed to be just in front of her. Minho was at her side the entire time, keeping up with her long strides.

Thomas appeared in front of them, panting and staring at something ahead of him. Neither being able to stop, Cleo and Minho collided into him.

"You crazy son of a bitch." Minho scoffed.

Cleo's eyes landed on the Griever tangled in a mess of vines just a few feet away from them. It seemed preoccupied with its current predicament but was making quick work of the plants. Tugging on the boys' arms, she pulled them back the way they had come.

They didn't bother analyzing any of their moves now, sliding around corners left and right. Their only mission at this point was to lose the Griever chasing them. It wasn't until Minho noticed the walls changing on their left, that he took the lead.

"This section is closing! Come on, we can lose it down here!"

Cleo pushed herself to keep up with him, legs aching. She wanted to be home. To be in her hammock. Never had she ever wanted to be locked in the Glade, no way of escaping, so much in her life before. She could hear both boys screaming to run faster but her throat burned too much for her to join in. As if to make matters worse, she stumbled over a tangle of vines. Pain shot through her ankle, and she would have fallen to the ground had Minho not noticed her and reached for her arm. Gritting her teeth, she ignored the pain and did her best to keep up with him. They had reached the end of the section when they noticed Thomas had stopped following them.

"Run, Thomas!" The words burnt as they rose out of her dry throat and echoed through the Maze around them.

Minho stood behind her, calling out to him as well.

He was standing at the end of the corridor, staring the Griever down.

"Thomas, move, dammit!" Cleo's voice cracked.

The walls began closing in. Thomas was running out of time. Cleo bounced on her toes, eyes unblinking. And then, he was moving again, the Griever trailing only a few feet behind him. His friends screamed at him, their voices lost in the sound grinding stone until everything seemed to stop all at once.

* * *

Chuck was the first one awake, feeling the doors begin to shift behind him and jumped to his feet, quickly alerting the others around him. None of them had gotten much sleep that night, all waiting anxiously for morning to return. Newt and Gally were the first to reach him, staring into the Maze. When nothing presented itself, any last shred of hope for their friends return diminished.

"I told you, Chuck. They're not coming back." Newt patted the younger boys shoulder, turning away. Slowly the others starting moving away, heads hung low. It wasn't anything new losing someone. But in one night, they had lost four people. This wasn't something they would be able to pretend didn't happen.

Chuck, heartbroken, turned his back to the Maze, retreating after the others. Zart had waited for him, giving him a nod. His eyes lifted as movement appeared in the Maze and then, slowly, the corners of his mouth lifted.

"No way." He breathed.

Chuck spun around quickly, smiling in relief as four figures appeared at the end of the corridor.

"Yeah!" He shouted out, catching the attention of the others.

They returned to the entrance, waiting for the arrival of their friends.

Cleo had never been happier to step into the Glade, dropping to her knees and panting heavily. Minho and Thomas dropped Alby to the ground and the Gladers gathered around him. While the others congratulated their return, asking questions regarding the night before and Thomas's success in killing a Griever, she vomited up whatever was left in her stomach onto the ground in front of her. Everything hurt. Her head, her lungs, her legs. God, her ankle hurt like hell. But they had made it. They had survived a night in the Maze. A hand rested on her back in an attempt at comfort and she turned to see Minho's worrisome expression.

Wiping her mouth on the back of her hand, she stood up, careful not to put too much pressure on her ankle. She composed herself, wiping away any remnants of tears and sucked in a deep breath.

"Gally called a meeting." He spoke dryly, though his eyes showed a bit of worry for the girl.

She nodded, sniffling and turned back to the others. Instructions were given. Alby and Cleo were to be taken to the Med-Jacks' hut and they were to meet in the Council Hall in half an hour.

* * *

"Things are changing," Gally started, hushing the boys that sat around him. Most of the boys, and Cleo, were seated behind a wooden railing, while a few, the Keepers and Greenie, were standing in the center of the room, "There's no denying that. First, Ben gets stung in broad daylight. And then Alby." Cleo's eyes dropped to her hands. Beside her, Chuck nudged her arm.

"And now, our Greenie, here, has taken it upon himself," Gally stepped to the side, presenting said Glader behind him, "To go into the Maze. Which is a clear violation of our rules here."

"Yeah," It was Frypan that interrupted, "But he saved Alby's life."

"Did he?" Gally countered, "For 3 years, we have coexisted with these things. And now, you've killed one of them. Who knows what that could mean for us."

"What do you suggest we do?" Newt was leaned against the opposite pillar, his face and tone present a hint of annoyance. While Alby's down, it's his job to step up, become their leader until Alby is better. He was all for a letting the people decided and having a discussion, but Gally leading said discussion seemed to annoy him just as much as it annoyed Cleo. All the same, Newt would give Gally the chance to explain himself.

"He has to be punished." Gally's statement caused a small uproar. Cleo was happy to hear others didn't agree with him and her spirits lifted some.

"Minho," Again, Newt's voice cut in, "You and Cleo were there with him. What do you think."

Minho let out a heavy sigh, crossing his arms as he stood up straighter, "I think, in all the time we've been here, no one has ever killed a Griever before. When I turned and ran, this dumb shank stayed behind to help Alby," Cleo glanced at Thomas, "Look I don't know if he's brave or stupid. But whatever it is, we need more of it."

Cleo agreed with Minho. Thomas had shown that he was willing to do whatever he had to, even if that meant die, to protect someone he had just met. They shouldn't be punishing him; they would be praising him. She smiled when he glanced at her, turning her attention back to Minho.

"I say we make him a runner."

Her smile faltered some. The idea was ridiculous. Sure, he had proven himself in the Maze, but he had been lucky. It had been pure adrenaline that had kept him moving. Last night was different than days were in the Maze, she would know. It wasn't always a 'run for your life' situation. Some days it was just plain boring and judging by recent events, Thomas was a reckless boy. This was definitely a discussion for another time.

Beside her, Chuck seemed to have a different opinion, chanting out his friend's name in an attempt to get the other boys to side with him. She wrapped an arm around his neck, covering his mouth with her hand. He glared up at her, and licked at the salty skin causing her to remove it quickly. He giggled as she wiped her palm on her pants and glared at him.

"If you want to throw the newbie a parade, that's fine. Go ahead," Gally pouted, "But if there is one thing I know about the maze, it is that you do not-"

A noise outside stopped him. It was a familiar sound, but all the same unsettling. An alarm, grinding gears, metal against metal. Confusion appeared on everyone's face and they slowly turned towards the entrance. In seconds, they were filing out of the building, taking off towards the arriving box.

"It's coming back up. It shouldn't be." Cleo breathed, pushing past Minho and Thomas and limping after the others. She pushed to the inner ring of the circle, standing on the edge of the box alongside Gally. Thomas pushed his way beside her, exchanging a look before peering down below.

Newt was inside, standing over the unconscious figure with a look of bewilderment.

"What is it, Newt?" Cleo called out, ready to jump in herself.

What Newt said next wasn't what she had expected.

"It's a girl."

Whispers traveled through the gathered crowd, everyone stepping closer to get a better look.

 _A girl. Another girl. Finally._

"I think she's dead." Newt stated dumbly.

 _Of course._

"What's in her hand?"

Tentatively, he bent down, retrieving the white object from her limp grasp. Lifting it up, he revealed it a as a piece of paper.

"She's the last one, ever." He looked up at them, holding the same confused and somewhat fearful expression they mimicked back at him.

Sudden, with a sharp intake of breath, the girl sat up. They all jumped, stumbling away as she panted. Her eyes locked on Thomas, piercing blue and wide. He latched onto Cleo's wrist in fear..

"Thomas." The girl breathed before her eyes rolled into the back of her head and she passed out once again.

A stillness fell over the Gladers and all eyes fell on Thomas. He swallowed, finding the only person he could look at was Cleo.

"Do you still think I'm overreacting?" Gally spoke from behind him, cutting through the tension in the air.

* * *

 **As always, thank you for taking the time to read! Thank you to the people that reviewed! It truly does mean so much to me! You guys are great!**

 **.2016: Does that mean that this is a good or a bad Thomas/OC story?**

 **BookRain: About the prequel idea, I was thinking about that as well. I've starting writing the sequel already and I want to finish first, but I have been writing a few drabbles here and there about Cleo before Thomas arrived and even before the Maze/Glade. I haven't decided if I want to make a full story out of it, or just drabbles about different things that happen.**


	7. Worth A Shot

Cleo stood beside Thomas, staring down at the unconscious girl with a puzzled expression. She was more than disappointed to find that it had been hours and she was still unconscious. She had finally gotten another girl, after three years of wishing and hoping, she had finally gotten a girl, and they weren't sure she would wake up again.

"Jeff, what's going on?" The boy next to her pushed.

She couldn't blame him. The only thing the girl had said was his name. The box still sitting wide open in the middle of the glade and the daunting note she had brought along with her, were enough to perplex all of them.

"What's the matter with her? Why won't she wake up?"

Jeff blinked up at them, shrugging simply, "Hey, man. I got my job the same way you did."

Newt give Thomas anymore time to pester the Med-Jack, turning to him, an eyebrow crocked upward in suspicion, "Do you recognize her?"

"No." Thomas stated dumbly, appalled that he would even assume something like that.

Cleo and Minho looked at one another.

"Really? Because she seemed to recognize you." Newt didn't seem to be believing him much either.

 _The last one._

 _Ever._

"What about the note?" Cleo blurted out. She was staring at the girl again, finding she couldn't look away. There was something familiar in her features. It sat on the tip of her tongue, but she couldn't, for the life of her, figure out what it was.

Newt just shook his head, "We'll worry about the note later."

Finally, able to tear her eyes away, she turned to him, "I think we should worry about it now."

"We've got enough to deal with at the moment."

"If the Box isn't coming back up, how long do you think we can last?" Jeff chimed in. Cleo hadn't meant to worry him so much, but it was something they needed to be thinking about. She cringed at his worried question.

"No one said that. Let's not jump to any conclusions," Newt's voice was condescending, though he truly meant well and he sent a glare to the girl beside him, "We'll just wait until she wakes up and see what she knows."

Thomas shook his head, turning towards the door. His strides were long and quick, obvious indication that he was on some kind of mission and the others glanced at one another.

"Where are you going?"

"Back into the Maze." His answer was cut and dry, momentarily stunning the other three before Minho raced after him.

* * *

Cleo wanted to be surprised when Minho appeared at her hammock a half an hour later. He had a pleading look on his face and she knew whatever he was going to ask her, she wouldn't be able to say no.

"Thomas and I are going back out to the Griever. He thinks it'll give us an answer of some kind. I've already got Frypan and Zart. Winston, maybe," He blinked, "What do you say?"

Cleo wanted to say no. Go back into the Maze, back to the Griever that had tried to kill them the night before. Leave the Gladers with the new girl and her creepy note. She wanted to say no and curl into her hammock, go to sleep and pretend nothing had happened. Plus, she was injured. If anything were to happen she would only be dead weight. But all the same, she found herself pushing to her feet and letting out a long sigh. If Minho was coming to her personally, there wasn't a good enough reason for her to turn him down.

"I say, it's worth a shot."

Minho smiled at her faintly, and began leading her across the glade to the meeting place. They were halfway across when Chuck cut them off. He waved Minho's protest off before the boy could say anything.

"I heard you and Zart talking. I'm going."

Cleo and Minho glanced back and forth for a moment and then the boy sighed.

"Fine. But stay with Cleo, got it?"

Chuck nodded, biting the inside of his cheeks to hide the smile that he so wanted to show. Minho took off in a jog once again and Cleo stared after him. Once he was out of ear shot, she spun around on Chuck, grabbing his shoulder tightly.

"You will do exactly as I say, alright? This isn't just a leisurely stroll. Something could happen at any second and you need to be ready to react."

Chuck swallowed, eyes bugging some. Cleo closed her eyes, taking a deep breath and loosened her grip on his shoulder.

"I'm not trying to scare you. I just don't want you getting hurt," The boy nodded in return, "Alright, c'mon."

* * *

"Will this be enough?"

Thomas had been pacing in front of the Runner's hut for a good ten minutes, digging a trench into the soft mud beneath him. He spun around when Minho called out, baffled by the five Gladers trailing behind him. His eyes locked with Cleo's for a moment and she smiled, putting an arm around Chuck to push him to the front of the group.

"Okay," He breathed, "Let's go."

They took off towards the wall, keeping their heads down and making sure no one would see them sneaking back into the Maze. When they reached the entrance, Cleo could feel Chuck slowing down. Coming to a stop just inside the Maze, she turned to him.

"You don't have to come, Chuck. Nobody is gonna think any less of you, okay?"

He nodded, scuffing his shoes into the dirt.

"Plus," Thomas spoke from beside her, "We need somebody to keep watch. Can you do that for me, buddy?"

Chuck looked up at him, and slowly nodded. His face lifted some as Cleo gave him a warm smile. Thomas rested his palm on her arm, turning her gaze towards him.

"You think you can keep up?" He was teasing of course, she could see it in his eyes.

Rolling her eyes, she raised an eyebrow at Chuck and shoved Thomas, "Let's get going before Gally notices you're breaking the rules again."

* * *

It was easy to retrace their steps and find the crushed Griever. It was oozing out from between the two walls, a disgustingly foul smell seeped from its flattened body. Cleo placed a hand over her nose and mouth, eyebrows furrowing as she stared at the creature. In the moment, she felt glad that Chuck hadn't come along.

"That's disgusting." Zart gagged beside her, covering his own nose.

Something caught Cleo's eyes. Hand dropping away from her mouth, she leaned in to get a closer look. Within the wall, within the Griever, was a red flashing light. "There's something in there." She breathed, blinking at the others.

"You mean, besides a Griever pancake?" Frypan retorted, earning himself a slap to the stomach.

She moved ahead of the group, creeping closer to the creature. They all reached out to her, calling out for her to stop but she ignored them. Eyes focused on the hole in the wall, she stepped into the leg of the Griever. It spasmed, sending her stumbling back into someone. The other boys jumped, startled, taking a collective step backwards.

"I thought you said it was dead?" Frypan panted.

"Was it a reflex?"

Eyes shifted to Zart.

"You hope."

Cleo hissed as pain traveled through her ankle and up her leg. It was a dumb idea on her part, going any closer to the Griever that had been hunting them only hours before, but her curiosity had gotten the best of her. The sharp pain of reminder that she was somewhat crippled was better karma than getting stung she supposed.

"You okay?" It was Thomas she had collided with, his hands still grabbing onto her waist. With a small nod from the girl, he let her go, stepping around to get a clear look at the now sprawled out Griever, "Okay, come on. Let's try and pull it out."

Without hesitation, Minho and Cleo were beside him, grabbing onto the limbs. Slowly, the other three joined and on three, they began to tug backwards. It took a second for any kind of give but eventually they were sent flying backwards, landing in a heap on one another as the leg came loose. The Griever stayed lodged in between the walls, but now they had something to work with. Pushing off the ground, they returned to their original standing positions.

Again, Cleo's ankle throbbed and she started to regret her decision to come back out, when the flashing light caught her eye again. No one spoke when she moved closer this time. She gave a tentative look over her shoulder before sticking her hand inside. The boys held their breath, half expecting her to starting screaming, or pull her arm away missing a hand. Instead, she came back with a sack like object, three wires sticking out of the top. Her face contorted into disgusts as she wiped away the excess goo.

"What the hell is that?" Someone breathed.

She pulled the skin away revealing a metal cylinder. Clearing away blood and slim, she lifted her eyes to Minho and waved him over. He stood at her side, taking the object away from her and studying it himself.

"Interesting." He concurred, handing it back to her.

She was about to give the others some kind of explanation for Minho's statement but Frypan beat her to it, "Whatever it is, can we take it up back at the Glade? I don't want to meet this guy's friends."

"He's right," Minho nodded, "It's getting late."

Leaving the Griever behind, the six headed back home, happy they had made some kind of discovery.

* * *

The happiness dwindled when they were met by Chuck at the door, his face showing a mixture of shame and fear. Cleo reached him first, using his shoulder to lean against.

"What's up, Chuckie?" She panted, searching his eyes.

He swallowed, looking away from her and towards the Council Hall, "Gally found out that you guys left. He called a meeting for when you guys get back."

Cleo could see the Glader stalking towards them, head dipped low, almost predatory. She gave a look to the boys behind her and then turned back to Chuck.

"Don't worry, Chuck. We'll sort everything out." She reassured him, ruffling his hair for extra measure and took off towards Gally. She planned on dodging him completely, finding Newt and letting the hothead cool down. But he caught her arm as she moved passed and stopped her.

"Cleo-" He growled, fingers digging into her forearm.

She yanked herself free, finding the other boys had followed her, and stepped in closer, "In the Council, now. You want to throw a fit, then you do it in there, not out here," She moved around him again, "Let's go!"

* * *

"We found this," Thomas took the metal device from Minho, passing it over to Newt, "It was inside a Griever."

"These are the same letters we get on our supplies," He added, growing antsy,"Whoever put us here obviously made the Grievers. This is the first real clue, the first anything," He corrected, "you've found in over three years."

Minho and Cleo nodded in agreement. Newt seemed to be listening though his eyes stayed on the device. Thomas stepped forward, lowering his voice some, "Newt, we gotta get back out there. Who knows where this might lead us."

"You see what he's trying to do, right?" Gally interjected, "First he breaks our rules, and then he tries to convinces us to abandon them totally. The rules are the only thing that have ever held us together. Why now are we questioning them?"

Cleo understood where the asshole point, and as much as she hated to admit it, knew he was right. Since Thomas had arrived things had become different. Even though she didn't agree with him, she understood why Gally was acting the way he was. That didn't mean she was about to express that verbally. Gally had done nothing but piss her off for the last few days, she was going to let his ship sink for a bit.

"If Alby was here, you know he'd agree with me. This Shank needs to be punished."

Things were quiet for a moment. Without any kind of spoken order, they knew Newt had the floor. Now they just had to wait until he made up his mind.

Finally, he nodded, agreeing with Gally, "You're right. Thomas broke the rules. One night in the pit, and no food."

This, while relieving the small group in front of them, didn't sit well with Gally, and he opened his mouth to object.

"Do you think that's gonna stop him from going into the Maze?"

Newt shook his head, nonchalantly, "No. And we can't just have non-runners running into the Maze whenever they feel like it," His eyes shifted to Thomas, "So let's just make this official. Starting from tomorrow, you're a runner."

A scoff escaped Gally's throat and he shook his head, obviously hurt that no one had been on side. Letting out an aggravated "wow" he stormed outside. Frypan followed after him, hoping to calm him down.

"Thanks, Newt." Thomas breathed.

The boy just looked at him, then the others and walked away. The meeting ended silently.

* * *

Winston and Zart went back to work, grumbling about the Griever smell still stuck in their noses. Cleo, Minho, and Thomas stood where they were and watched the Glade around them.

"Come on, Green Bean," Minho clapped Thomas on the shoulder suddenly, "I gotta show you something."

As he began jogging towards the woods, Thomas turned back to Cleo.

"Can he still call me Green Bean, even with the new Greenie here?"

Cleo smiled, tucking her hands into her pockets and shrugged, "You got two days as a Greenie. The rest of us had a month. You'll be hearing that for a while," He smiled back at her, before she gave him a light push, "Go, Minho's not going to wait forever. I'll see you later."

He stood for a moment longer, before turning and jogging after Minho, leaving the girl to smile after him. Shaking her head, she took a deep breath, and turned in search of Chuck.

* * *

 **BookRain: I had the first one pretty planned out before I started writing it, so I knew where I wanted to go with it. It's easier to write something that you know where it's going, haha. I also had a good chunk of it written before I started posting as well.**

 **.2016: I'm glad you like it! I will say though that it'll be pretty slow-burn. There will be hints to them kind of falling for each other and liking one another in the chapters to come but as for anything really establishing their relationship, it won't be until the sequel (but you won't have to wait very long). Hopefully that doesn't scare you away! There will be Thomas/Cleo, just not in this book.**

 **x XRoweenaJAugustineX x: Thank you so much for favoriting and leaving a review! I'm glad you are enjoying it!**

 **Four more chapters until the end! Thanks for reading, reviewing, favoriting, and/or following! You guys are amazing!**


	8. Not If You Treat Them Right

Once most of their work was done, Chuck and Cleo found an open spot in the Glade away from everyone else to relax and enjoy the warm sun. Cleo distracted herself with the clouds moving over head, letting Chuck explain every detail of the small figurine he had been working on for the past few days. It was turning out pretty well- she made sure to tell him that. Commotion by the look out tower made her sit up. A slim figure had burst from the Med-Jack hut and made their way across the Glade. They were halfway up the ladder before anyone reached them. Cleo recognized the runner as the girl and felt a grin pull at the sides of her mouth. Boys had dropped what they were doing, racing after the Greenie. Picking herself up off the ground, she hurried towards them.

Before she could reach the tower, the girl above began pelting anyone close enough with objects. They ducked away, calling out to her, trying to assure her that she wasn't in any danger. Cleo stumbled to a stop, grabbing a hold of Jeff as he came running by.

"Go get Minho and Thomas. They're in the Runner's hut, in the woods. Go now!" Jeff waved towards Clint and the two took off.

Cleo made her way over to Newt, covering her head with her hands as small rocks and old cups dropped from above.

"Hey! Hey! We're not gonna hurt you! Can we talk for a second?" Her voice seemed lost in the boys yelling and she ducked under the piece of wood Winston was using to protect himself and Newt. Gally stood on her left, still trying to get through to the girl. He earned a couple of rocks to the head and Cleo couldn't help but laugh at the entire situation. By the time Thomas and Minho arrived, she had Newt laughing along with her.

"I don't think she likes us very much." He joked and Cleo laughed harder.

"What do you want from me?" The girl called down, never pausing with her onslaught of pelting things down at them. Eventually, she would have run out of things to throw at them, right? They just needed to wait it out.

"We just wanna talk!" Thomas screamed up.

"Tried that! Didn't work!" Cleo replied to him. He glanced at her briefly and then back at the girl, dodging a particularly large object before calling out.

"Hey, it's Thomas! It's Thomas!"

The throwing ceased immediately. Winston lowered their wooden shield and everyone watched as the girl above poked her head over the ledge and peered down at them.

"I'm gonna come up, okay?" Thomas asked, and she disappeared once again.

They watched as Thomas made his way, slowly, up the ladder and onto the balcony above, disappearing from view. Things were quiet for a moment, and they all looked between one another, expecting the throwing to begin again or Thomas, himself, to come flying over the edge and down onto them. When it seemed neither would happen, Newt called out,

"What's going on up there?"

"Is she coming down?" Cleo added, seconds before Thomas's head appeared above.

"Hey, listen, you guys just give us a second okay?"

He gave them a reassuring nod and disappeared. Huffing, Cleo turned away from the tower, Newt following behind and herding the boys away. As they began to disperse, Frypan gave Cleo a pointed look.

"Is this what all girls are like?"

Cleo smiled wide, taking another look over her shoulder at the girl above them. She could just see the top of her head, dark locks of hair wisping around in the wind. Turning back to Frypan, she chuckled, "Not if you treat 'em right."

* * *

The sun had begun to set when Thomas came back down, Teresa following shortly after. Chuck and Cleo waited for them at the bottom, holding the usual provisions for the new arrival. Smiles were exchanged in brief greetings once they were all firmly on the ground, before Thomas held up a small vile. It was thin and contained an almost fluorescent blue liquid. Cleo's eyes narrowed in curiosity.

"This could save Alby." Thomas answered her unspoken question, already pushing past her. He moved quickly towards the Med-Jack tent, the other three following behind.

When they arrived, Newt was standing at the foot of the bed, watching over his sick friend. His fingers pulled at his bottom lip, eyebrows knitted together in worry. To the side, Jeff and Clint were watching Alby as well. They had done what they could, though there wasn't much that could be done. Now he depended on a miracle. And that seemed to be the small tube in Thomas's grasp.

"We don't even know what this stuff is," Newt stated, when he was presented with the liquid, "We don't know who sent it. Or why it came up here with you. For all we know, this thing could kill him."

"He's already dying," Thomas fought back, "Look at him. How could this possibly make it any worse?"

Newt looked back at his friend on the cot. His body laced with the black snake like veins. His skin covered in a layer of sweat. His breathing as ragged, heaving his chest up and down. Every now and again his body would convulse, earning a pained look from his visitors. When Newt couldn't stand watching anymore, he looked to Cleo. In the moment, she was the next in command. She was the only one that could sway him either way. She stared back at him before flicking her eyes towards Thomas. Newt sighed and did the same.

"All right. Do it."

Thomas, relieved at his friend's decision, moved past him and over to Alby's side. He leaned down, placing the syringe just centimeters from the boy's chest. None of them expected Alby to sit forward, latching onto Thomas and screaming at him. They were quick on their feet, lunging forward to pry the two boys apart.

"Get the syringe!" Thomas screamed and Teresa emptied the liquid into Alby's side. He stilled immediately, fingers untangling themselves from Thomas's shirt. He pulled away, standing up and panting. Grabbing at his chest to still his palpitating heart, he let out a breathy sigh.

"Well, that worked." Cleo huffed, hands on her hips, blinking down at Alby's unconscious form. His chest wasn't falling as rapidly anymore, and the black vines crawling up his abdomen seemed to already be slowly disappearing.

Beside her, Newt's shoulders were still rigid, "Okay, from now on, someone stays here and watches him around the clock."

They all nodded in agreement, Gally appearing in the doorway.

"Sundown, Greenie," He spoke, "Time to go."

Thomas looked to Cleo as he passed her and she gave him a small nod. Glancing at the others, he stepped outside behind Gally, leaving them to deal with Alby.

* * *

Her turn sitting with Alby held nothing eventful. His fever had broken just as her and Newt had switched off shifts, and he looked tons better when she left, but the two hours she sat with him were filled with nothing but his breathing and her thoughts. At the half hour mark, she started talking to him, telling him about the new girl, about Thomas killing the Griever and everything else that had happened while he was down. Not sure if he could hear or not, she felt it was good to vent about her personal opinions on how the Glade and its occupants were coping with all the new strange things that were happening.

As she was shuffling back to her hammock, ready for an overdue snooze, when she caught sight of Chuck making his way across the Glade. The lantern in his hands was only bright enough to illuminate his face, but she knew the direction he was headed in pretty clearly. Grinning, she cut across to meet him.

He jumped when she arrived at his side, stopping in his tracks. He had hidden something behind his back and his eyes jerked from left to right.

"Where ya going, Chuckie?" The grin was still plastered on her face.

Chuck swallowed.

"I-I was just bringing him dinner. He's supposed to go on his first run tomorrow."

Cleo flung an arm over his shoulders, turning him back towards the pits, "Good thinking, Chuck. Come on, let's see if he's still awake."

They hadn't seen him before his voice called out from inside the dark pit. His head appearing behind the bars as they made their way closer.

"It's just us." Chuck offered, lowering his lantern to the ground. Cleo smiled behind him.

Thomas relaxed back against the wall, mumbling an apology. Chuck brushed it off, offering him dinner through the wooden bars.

"You'll run better on a full stomach."

Thomas took it gratefully, shoving handfuls in his mouth. The two settled on the ground above him, chuckling at the boy.

"Slow down, Green Bean. Nobody's gonna take it from you." Cleo teased.

"Thank you." His mouth full of stale bread.

She pointed to the boy beside her, fiddling with his finished project, "Don't thank me. It was Chuck's idea."

Thomas looked at the boy, and spoke earnestly "Thanks, Chuck."

But the young boy hadn't heard him. Instead, he was staring down at the small wooden object he spun between his fingers. He had done this many times throughout the last few days, something Cleo picked up on and labelled a nervous habit. Since finishing it early, he had hidden it away. She was glad to see he had revealed it once again.

Thomas stood from his position within the cell, coming up to the door to get a closer look. He swallowed his food, eyes never leaving Chuck's piece of art.

"Hey, whatcha got there?" He asked, trying to spark a conversation with the boy.

Chuck glanced at him from the corner of his eye, moving to present the wooden statue to Thomas. Genuinely impressed, Thomas smiled widely.

"Wow, that came out pretty damn good."

Cleo bit her lip, smiling at the interaction in front of her. It was nice to see someone else adoring Chuck like she did. Sure the other boys were nice to him, treated him like a little brother, but none of them really cared about the small things Chuck had to offer. None of them saw the bright eyed, hopeful little kid she did. Except Thomas it seemed.

"What's that for?"

But if Chuck appreciated Thomas comment, he did little to show it, retracting it back into his fist.

"It's for my parents."

This was news to both of the older teens. Cleo settled into the dirt, giving Chuck her full attention as Thomas stepped even closer.

"You remember your parents?" She asked, quietly.

"No," Chuck shook his head, blinking at her then at Thomas, "I mean, I know I have them. And wherever they are, I'm sure they miss me," he went silent for a moment, swallowing the lump in his throat, "But I can't miss them, because I don't remember them."

Thomas looked at Cleo. Her eyes stayed on Chuck, filled with remorse and the pang of guilt. Guilt for something she had no control over, he reminded himself. She had sucked her bottom lip into her mouth, eyes shining with a thin layer of tears, present enough for the lantern to catch in them. Eyebrows knitted together, he couldn't help but admire her. Her strength amongst a group of boys. Her softness in a world that had been cruel to her.

"What do you think you're gonna find out there tomorrow?" Chuck sucked him back into reality.

Thomas shrugged, aside from their little sleepover the night before he had no idea what to expect in the Maze. But he had hope. He needed to have hope.

"I don't know," He answered truthfully, "But if there's a way out, Chuck, we're gonna find it."

They sat in silence again, comfortable even with everything that had happened and was happening around them. The walls within the Maze filled the silence and Chuck leaned forward, holding out his hand towards the imprisoned teen.

Thomas instinctively reached forward, taking whatever Chuck had given him. When it was revealed as the small figurine Chuck had worked on since the moment he arrived, he couldn't fight the lump that formed in his throat.

"Chuck, why would you give this to me?"

Chuck bit his lip, tears coming to his eyes, "I can't remember them anyway. But maybe if you find a way out, you can give it to them for me," He pushed to his feet, ignoring Cleo's look of worry, "You should get some sleep."

As he stepped away, Thomas turned the figurine over in his hands and called out to him. He waited until the boy had crouched back down, before taking his hand and returning the object.

"I want you to give that to them yourself," He spoke slow and steady, serious, "We're gonna get out of here."

Chuck just nodded.

Thomas looked to Cleo, including her in the conversation, "All of us."

She took a deep breath, smiling up at Chuck. They all exchanged 'goodnights' and Chuck wandered back towards his hammock, leaving the two alone.

Thomas has settled back against the wall, covering a long yawn with the back of his hand. He wasn't necessarily tired yet, but sleep didn't sound like a bad idea. Above him, Cleo was still sitting on the ground, legs pulled up into her chest. She was watching the flames flicker within the lantern at her feet, almost mesmerized.

"Newt told me you used to be a Runner." His words seemed to evoke a response from her, but she continued to stare at the flames.

"What made you stop?"

Her eyes closed briefly. She was weighing her options. Slowly, letting out a deep breath, she opened his eyes.

"We didn't know the Griever's existed until we made it to the outer ring. Me and this kid George, he came a couple months after me, were finishing up our run of section four. He wasn't a Runner, necessarily. One of the kids, Reese, he had gotten sick. George was fast; he could keep up," She swallowed, "We didn't see it coming. Never imagined something that big could be so quiet. It was coming after me. Would've killed me. But George ran in front of me," Her eyebrows scrunched together, "It stung him, and then turned and left. Like it had suddenly lost interest in us. I tried to get him back, but I wasn't strong enough and there wasn't enough time to find someone to help. He told me to leave him," Her eyes closed briefly, "The next morning when the doors opened, he was there. Dead, but there," Thomas had moved back up towards the bars, staring at her solemnly, "I'm not sure if he got back himself or if he was left as some kind of warning but whatever had happened, he was dead. And it had been my fault."

"Cleo-"

"He was the first name we crossed off the Wall. The first person to be killed by the Griever. He's the reason we have rules," She paused, "I couldn't go back out there after that. I didn't want to."

"Why did you go with Alby and Minho?"

"Alby's not a Runner. And Alby is our leader. We lose him, we lose everything this place stands for. I couldn't let what happened with George happen again," Her head dropped, studying a tear in her jeans, "Guess I'm just bad luck, huh?"

"I don't think so," Thomas replied sincerely, "And I bet you anything no one else does either. Especially not Chuck."

She smiled at him then, and his heart jumped into his throat.

* * *

She hadn't stayed long after that, leaving him to get some rest before his big day in the Maze. He wanted to ask if she would be going with them, but with the new information she had given him, he decided against it. She did wish him luck before disappearing into the darkness.

She was passing the kitchen when a voice made her jump. Goosebumps rose on her arms and legs. She turned towards Gally, crossing her arms defiantly. She wasn't up for an argument tonight.

"You should be careful around him."

"You mean the kid locked up?" She raised an eyebrow.

She could barely make out any of his features in the dark, but could imagine them all the same. Eyebrows raised, mouth closed in a tight thin line. His own arms crossed over his chest.

"I'm just looking out for you, Cleo."

She rolled her eyes, "Thomas isn't the bad guy. Sure things have happened since he arrived, but that doesn't mean he's bad."

Gally scoffed, just as annoyed with his counterpart, "Ben is dead. Alby is dying. Another girl arrives in the box just three days after he shows up."

"Ben's death was not his fault," She stepped towards him, jabbing a finger into his chest, "Alby is not going to die. If anything, he saved Alby. If he hadn't run into the Maze, me and Minho would have been dead. And how the hell," Another jab in the chest, "is another female coming up have anything to do with him. Maybe the people that put us in here are just as fed up with all the testosterone as I am," She huffed, turning away, "He's not a bad guy, Gally. You're just scared."

* * *

 **Hope you guys enjoyed the last two chapters! Thank you for reading and favoriting! Xx**


	9. The Doors Aren't Closing

She was more than happy to see Alby looked good as new when she stepped into the Med-Jack tent that morning. He had even moved; lying on his side now, facing away from her. Teresa was against the wall at the end of the bed, dozing on and off, but perked up when she saw Cleo.

"I brought you breakfast." The blonde sank down to be eye level with the other girl and held out the steaming plate of Frypan's cooking.

Teresa took it gratefully, shoveling it in. Cleo moved to sit beside her, stretching her legs out in front of her. She rubbed at the tender ankle, glad that it was finally getting somewhere healing wise. Her eyes trained on Alby's sleeping form and she let her body relax.

"He's doing better," Teresa spoke between mouthfuls, "Jeff thinks he might wake up today."

The news was music to Cleo's ears and she gave the girl a smile. Teresa returned the gesture. Cleo assumed they were friends, things were never uncomfortable or awkward, even though they hadn't spent much time alone except for now. Still, Cleo's wish had come true. Teresa was kind and helpful and the first girl in three years. Cleo would take it until she was proven otherwise.

"You don't have to sit with him all day," She reminded the girl, "I could give you a tour of the Glade, find you a job that you like. Now that Alby is better, we don't have to monitor him as much."

Teresa finished off the last of her breakfast, settling the tin plate on the ground beside her. If Cleo remembered correctly, Teresa had taken the early morning shift. Meaning she had been her for a good five hours already. Maybe a nap was in order.

"I like it in here. Clint and Jeff are nice, and I help when I can."

Cleo nodded, knowing that it was more of an excuse than an answer. Her mind wandered to Thomas and Minho, hoping their run would go smoothly today. After the last few days they had had, a break would be nice. Maybe even calm Gally down a bit. _Gally._ Piecing things together, Cleo came to a realization. She wasn't going to push Teresa if the girl was content at the moment but as she stood up, dusting off the back of her pants, she made sure to let the girl know she was a part of the Glade too.

"This is your home now too, Teresa. Don't let anybody try and push you around," She stepped towards the door, "Especially Gally. He's all talk."

Teresa smiled at her, sending her a wave as she ducked back out into the morning sun.

* * *

It was normal to hear sounds from within the Maze and they usually didn't pay any attention to it. But something about today made heads turn. Cleo was one of the first to come up to the entrance, joined moments later by Chuck and the Keepers. They still had an hour until the sun would begin to set and the doors would close, but they all grew antsy waiting for their Runners to return.

Time seem to drag on before Thomas and Minho came jogging out of the Maze, panting and sweating. Their pace slowed to a purposeful walk, their greeters following along behind.

"What the hell's going on out there?" Newt asked first, keeping up with the two.

Gally lagged behind some, with Cleo and Chuck, throwing out an accusing assumption, "What the hell did you do now, Thomas?"

"We found something, a new passage," Thomas replied, ignoring the insinuation, "We think it could be a way out."

"Really?" Cleo piped up from the back. She exchanged a hopeful, yet quizzical look with Chuck.

Minho nodded at the front of the group, "It's true. We opened a door, something I've never seen before. I think it must be where the Grievers go during the day."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Chuck pushed his way to the front, Thomas slowing his pace to look at him, "You're saying you found the Griever's home? And you want us to go in?"

Thomas clapped a hand down on his shoulder, "Their way in could be our way out, Chuck."

It was Gally's turn to push through, pointing an accusing finger, "Yeah, or there could be a dozen Grievers on the other side. Truth is, Thomas doesn't know what he had done, as usual."

None of them expected Thomas to turn around as quickly as he did, clearing the space between him and the larger teen, "Yeah, at least I did something, Gally. I mean what have you done? Aside from hide behind these walls all the time?"

Gally puffed out his chest. There was no way he would let this Greenie get the best of him, especially not in front of everyone, "Let me tell you something, Greenie. You've been here three days, all right? I've been here three years."

"Yeah," Thomas shot back, "You've been here three years and you're still here, Gally! What does that tell you?"

The rest standing around, glanced at one another. Even though the insult was directed at Gally, they were all victim to the same idea. They had all been hiding behind the walls. Instead of focusing on getting out, they began building a home. They had become okay with the idea of being trapped. Thomas was the first to honestly fight that logic. The first to challenge whoever had put them in here. And for the first time since he arrived, Cleo agreed with Gally. Something was off about Thomas.

* * *

The fight between the two boys had been cut short with Teresa's arrival. Alby had woken up and the boys settled their dispute long enough to follow her back to the Med-Jack hut.

When they arrived, he was sitting up. His back was to him and Cleo could see it was riddled with tension. Latching onto Chuck's shoulders, she decided to keep them both in the back. Newt and Thomas were the only once to get near him.

"Alby, are you all right?" Newt sat beside his friend, eyebrows furrowed together in worry.

Alby never said a word, didn't even acknowledge he was there. When Thomas approached, crouching down, his demeanor changed. Shoulders hunched more and Cleo could have sworn she heard him cry.

"Alby, we might have just found a way out of the Maze," Thomas kept his voice low, moving closer when Alby didn't respond, "Do you hear me? We could be getting out of here."

Alby sniffled and shook his head, "We can't," everyone stepped closer to hear him better, "We can't leave. They won't let us."

There was a moment of commotion outside, but they were all to absorbed in Alby to care.

"What are you talking about?"

"I remember." He stated blatantly.

Thomas swallowed, "What do you remember?"

"You." The words echoed through the hut, everyone looking at one another, "You were always their favorite, Thomas. Always."

And as he continued, sobbing and blaming Thomas, the noises outside became more frantic. Cleo and Gally were the first to step outside, the others not far behind them.

"Winston," Minho grabbed onto the first person he could, "What's going on?"

"It's the doors," The boys replied frantically, "They aren't closing."

Cleo spun around immediately, bending down to eye level with Chuck, "Go to the Council Hall and start barricading the doors."

Chuck nodded.

"Winston, you go with him." Gally instructed.

Winston grabbed the boys shoulder, pulling him towards the Hall.

"I'll start gathering everyone up, get them to the forest." Cleo stated, not waiting for any kind of response. They watched her run off, before Gally pushed past, following after her.

* * *

She had made it halfway across the field when the familiar sound of gears twisting and turning stopped her. She watched as the walls in front of her, hidden halfway behind trees opened. Turning, she found the other two were doing the same. Boys ran from the trees, screaming and Cleo became panicked. From within the trees she could see it. The Griever plowed down saplings, undergrowth and vines doing little to slow it down. Her breathing picked up, her heart beating a mile a minute. Something snaked it's way around her waist and she screamed, fighting against it.

"Cleo! Cleo! It's me!" Gally's voice was almost lost behind the screaming and screeching of Gladers and Grievers. He let go of her waist, but quickly grabbed a hold of her arm, dragging her towards the middle of the Glade. Two boys, Builders and his friends, were waiting at the box, holding open the doors.

"Get in! Get in!" She lowered herself carefully into the box, the darkness below her making her stomach drop. The boys filed in after her.

Gally pulled the doors down, shutting them in the box as the screaming continued above.

"Gally! Let me in! Let me in!" Doug, one of the Slopper's appeared above them.

But before Gally could open the door, he was swept away by a Griever. Cleo hadn't meant for the yelp to come out, cowering herself behind Gally and trying to block out the sounds above them. Their friends. Dying. And here she was hiding. _Chuck._

The thought of the young boy tore her away from Gally, her fingers lacing with the door above them. She was pushing it open, when Gally grabbed onto her once again, pulling her back into the box.

"Are you crazy? You're going to get yourself killed!" He scolded her, keeping an arm tight around her waist.

"I have to get to Chuck. I have to make sure he's okay." She struggled in his grasp, hot tears sliding down her cheeks and into her mouth.

Gally held her tightly with one arm, the other extended upward, keeping the door shut firmly.

"If you die, it's not going to do anything to help Chuck. Just calm down. He'll be fine."

Cleo shook uncontrollably. _Please. Please. Please, don't let anything happen to Chuck._

* * *

When the noises from outside had dwindled until disappearing, Gally pushed open the door, and looked outside. With a nod of his head, Cleo scrambled past him and out of the box. She was momentarily stunned, twisting around to take in the full effect of the Glade. Her home. In complete ruin. Flames swallowed huts and trees, smoke covering the ground around them. She let out a silent sob, taking a step backwards.

"Council Hall." Gally muttered dryly, pushing her towards the direction of the building. She had to jog to keep up with his long strides, barely able to make out anything in front of them. Finally the silhouettes of people appeared and she heaved a relieved sigh.

"Chuck!" She raced past Gally, colliding with the boy. His arms wrapped around her waist tightly, and she buried her face in his curly hair, crying and thanking God that he was still alive. The dull thud of Gally's punch pulled them away. While the boys pushed him back, Cleo and Chuck joined Teresa at Thomas's side.

"You heard what Alby said! He's one of them!" Gally accused, spitting venom at Thomas.

Cleo examined his jaw, barely making out the bruise forming on his skin.

"One of who?" Minho shouted back.

"He's one of them, and they sent him here to destroy everything, and now he has!" Breaking free, Gally stormed towards Thomas, "Look around, Thomas! Look around! This is your fault!"

"Back off!" Cleo shoved at his chest, pushing him back into the grasp of Minho and the others. She turned back to Thomas, already trying to defuse the situation.

"Maybe he's right." Thomas muttered, glancing at the object in Chuck's hand.

Gally was still pouting behind them and a million things ran through Cleo's mind. She stepped closer to the boy in front of her, watching as he lifted the large needle from Chuck's grasp.

"Thomas, what are you doing?"

"Maybe I'm bad luck." There was a ghost of a laugh, a reference to their conversation the night before, and plunged the needle into his thigh.

She screamed, lunging forward. The others around them, silencing. As he dropped to the ground, she caught his head, body trembling. Teresa and Chuck crouched down beside them, Gally moved away from the others. His temper had subsided, if only for the time being.

"Chuck, get the other syringe!" Cleo ordered, resting Thomas's head on her legs. _No. No. No. This can't be happening. Not him. Not now._ She raked her fingers through his hair, "It's okay. Thomas, I'm here."

* * *

 **We're getting close to the end guys! Two more chapters and then the first book is finished. Thank you so much to everyone that had read, favorited, followed, and reviewed this story. It means the world to me!**

 **In other news, has anyone see the new episode of Teen Wolf? Do you guys watch Teen Wolf? If you do, what did you think?**

 **Let me know what you think, both about the chapter and the show (if you watch it)! Xx**


	10. Our Best Bet Lies In The Maze

" _Thomas, we can't keep letting them die. Not when we can stop them." Her voice wafted in and out, soothing like it always was. Her hair was pulled away from her face, blue eyes brighter in the light above them. She blinked at him and then it was as if something had wrapped around her waist and pulled her away, her arms reaching out to him._

" _Thomas! You can't let them do this!" Her voice was further away this time. He blinked and the scene around him changed. Now he was standing in front of a row of tubes, each filled with water. Each containing a person. People he knew. Gally, Alby, Ben. Cleo. She was staring at him, blankly. Her thoughts seemed far away. He reached towards the tube, hand coming in contact with the cool, glass surface._

 _And then she was gone again._

Thomas blinked, sunlight flooding into his line of sight from the left. A face blocked the light, giving him time to adjust.

Teresa stared down at him. She smiled when she realized he was awake, turning to look at something above them. Disoriented, he tried to piece together everything he had seen. His head felt constricted, like someone was pushing from either side and sooner or later it was going to explode. But the pain from where he had stabbed himself had disappeared. The blue liquid sent up with Teresa had done it's job and then some.

"Are you okay?" She asked gently and he pushed himself upward, vision darkening for a moment.

Above them, peering into the pit, Newt, Minho, Chuck, and Cleo watched on with worried expressions. They all held an exhausted look, though they seemed relieved he had woken up. He found himself looking at Cleo. Her expression was angry, eyebrows knitted together as she stared down at him. Her lips parted only slightly, like she wanted to say something, but Chuck beat her to it.

"What the hell were you thinking?" It was a harsh statement, like a mother scolding a child, and was enough to tell Thomas that he had scared the hell out of them. He made a note to apologize at some point. But for now, he was more concerned with how he ended up back in the pit.

"What happened?" He blinked, waiting for an answer.

His friends looked at one another, silently debating who would tell him exactly what was going on. Finally, through a unspoken vote, Newt was elected spokesperson.

"Gally has taken control. He said we had a choice. Either join him, or get banished at sundown with you."

Thomas wasn't sure whether to take it as a bad thing or not. All his friends gathered around? Were they coming to say their goodbyes, or were they rebelling against the self-proclaimed leader and siding with him?

"And the others agreed to that?" He didn't want to get his hopes up.

"Gally has everyone convinced that you're the reason all this has happened." Minho stated plainly.

Thomas dropped his head, scoffing to himself, "Well, he's been right so far."

"What are you talking about?"

"This place," He paused, "it's not what we thought it was. It's not a prison. It's a test. It all started when we were kids. They would give us these challenges. They were experimenting on us," He looked away from his friends, staring at his hands, "And then people started disappearing. Every month, one after the other, like clockwork."

When he looked up, Cleo was staring at him. While the others expressed their disbelief, she held his gaze with an unnerving understanding.

"They were sending them up into the Maze." She spoke softly. Her face held no change in expression but her tone wavered.

"Yeah, but not all of us." Thomas nodded, breaking eye contact.

Newt shook his head beside her, "What do you mean?"

Thomas swallowed the lump in his throat, taking the time to look them all in the eye individually, "Guys, I'm one of them. The people who put you here, I worked with them. I watched you guys for years. The entire time you have been here," Again Cleo stared at him, "I was on the other side of it," His focus turned to Teresa, "So were you."

The brunette recoiled from him, shaking her head in disbelief.

"We did this to them."

"No," She whimpered, "That can't be true."

Thomas's head and heart ached, "It is. I saw it."

"Why would they send us up if we were with them?"

"It doesn't matter." Thomas answered defeated.

"He's right," Newt's interjection directed all eyes to him, "It doesn't matter. Any of it. Because the people we were before the Maze don't even exist anymore. These Creators took care of that. But what does matter is who we are now and what we do," He glanced around, "Right now. You went into the Maze," His attention back on Thomas, "And you found a way out."

"Yeah, but if I hadn't, Alby would still be alive."

It was Cleo that spoke up this time, voice dry, "Maybe. But he would be telling you the same thing. Pick up your ass and finish what you started. Because if we do nothing, that means Alby died for nothing. And I'm not going to live with that. Okay?"

Thomas stared at her for a moment longer, then slowly nodded, "Okay. Okay, but we gotta get through Gally first."

* * *

Banishment. After everything they had been through, Gally actually believed a banishment would do anything. Cleo stood amongst the small group, the surviving few and watched Gally's right hand drag Teresa towards the Maze entrance. Minutes later, two other boys appeared, Thomas's unconscious, limp body dragging between them. She took a deep breath, jaw clenching and glanced towards Newt on her right. He gave her a barely noticeable nod.

"This is such a waste." She wanted to hit Gally. Knock sense into the dumb kid.

 _Never harm another Glader._ Alby's voice sounded almost condescending in her mind and her heart ached for their fallen leader. _If only you had been faster._

"Gally," She was surprised to see Winston step forward, "It doesn't feel right, man."

Jeff seemed to agree, challenging the larger teen, "Yeah, what if Thomas is right? Maybe he can lead us home."

"We are home," Gally pushed back, "I don't wanna cross any more names off that wall."

"You really think banishing us is gonna solve anything?" Teresa yelled from where she was still held captive.

Gally waved his hand, motioning at his henchmen, "No. But this isn't a banishing. It's an offering."

Cleo's hand tightened around the staff she held, eyes flickering to Newt once again. He was just as surprised, eyes widening some as he looked back at her.

"You really think I'm gonna let Thomas back into the Maze after what he has done?"

"Look around you," Cleo stepped forward, enough was enough, "Look at our Glade. Whatever you think is going to happen won't work. And then their deaths will be on your hands. And trust me, Gally, that's not something you want to live with. It's over. Our best bet lies in the Maze."

"This is the only way." He snarled, taking a threatening step towards her. She didn't budge, however, blinking as if to challenge him even more.

"Why are you all just standing there? He's crazy!" Teresa screamed, breaking Gally's concentration. He spun around, threatening her, but just like Cleo, she stood her ground.

"If you stay here, the Grievers are going to come back. They're gonna come back and they're gonna keep coming back until you're all dead!"

Cleo watched Chuck creep up from the corner of her eyes, loaded with weapons and supplies. As for now, no one of importance seemed to notice him and she praised his sneaking ability. Gally ordered for the two prisoners to be tied up, Teresa fighting the the boy holding her wrist. Cleo looked to Newt, then to Minho. All they were waiting for was Thomas's signal.

When he sprang to life, throwing an elbow into one of the teen's stomach and slamming a knee into the other, they jumped into action. Cleo locked onto her target, ignoring the other boys that tried to stop her and placed the pointed end of her staff at Gally's throat. She used his defenselessness to her advantage, turning them so she stood in line with the others and slowly backed away.

"You don't have to come with us, but we are leaving," Thomas clarified, "Anyone else who wants to come, now is your last chance."

"Don't listen to him, he's just trying to scare you." Gally interrupted.

Thomas shook his head, "No, I'm not trying to scare you. You're already scared. I'm scared," He admitted, looking at everyone but Gally, "But I'd rather risk my life out there than spending the rest of it in here. We don't belong here. This place isn't our home. We were put here. We were trapped here. At least, out there, we have a choice. We can make it out of here."

He gave it a moment, letting his words sink into the Gladers. Winston was the first to step forward, Jeff following close behind, and soon boys moved in pairs past Gally to stand alongside the others.

"It's over Gally," Cleo called out, "Just come with us."

She didn't want him to die. She didn't want anyone else to die. Gally might be a total dick sometimes, but he was part of the makeshift family she had created while living here. Three years worth of living with one another, creating and building a home. He deserved to live just like the rest of them.

"Good luck against the Grievers." She couldn't ignore the pang of hurt that came with his reply. She gave him one last pleading look as Thomas took her arm, pulling her into the Maze.

* * *

It didn't seem like they had run far enough before Thomas was silencing them. They pressed themselves together against the wall, weapons held tight in their hands. Thomas leaned around the corner, pulling his head back quickly.

"Is it a Griever?" Chuck whispered, stepping closer into Cleo's side. She had forgotten just how young the boy was until then. _We're going to get out. All of this will be worth it once we're out._

Thomas nodded, fishing in his backpack momentarily. He retrieved the device Cleo had pulled from the dead Griever the day before, placing it in the young teen's hands, "You take this. Stay behind us."

"It's okay," Teresa reassured him, "Just stay with me."

The two girls exchanged a look, Cleo showing her gratitude before giving Thomas her undivided attention.

"Once we're through it will activate and the door will open. Ready?"

"Wait," Frypan raised his hand, "Shouldn't somebody give a pep talk or something?"

Everyone glanced around. Finally, Minho huffed.

"Be careful. Don't die." He stated with a shrug.

Newt scoffed, "Great. We're all bloody inspired."

Cleo felt a small smile break out across her face, but the moment was cut short. Thomas let out a battle cry and raced forward, the others following behind. The Griever at the end of the corridor spun around, screeching as they approached. Weapons raised, their pace never faltered, meeting the creature in a flurry of swinging arms and flailing legs. They fought with all they had, dodging the tail that swung and swatted at them, before combining their forces and pushing the thing off the edge. In the midst of the chaos, Teresa and Chuck had distanced themselves from the others, running back towards them with frantic voices.

"Chuck!" Cleo called out as two more Grievers appeared, chasing down the two. She took off towards them, yelling from the boys behind her said they were doing the same. Teresa and Chuck ran past them into the tunnel, and they fought off the newly arrived creatures. A boy Cleo hadn't been able to get a good look at was picked off, tossed into the never ending pit behind the Griever with a fading scream.

"Thomas! There's a code! Eight numbers!" Teresa called out.

The Grievers were pushing them back, the Gladers wooden weapons no match for their tough skin. Their numbers were dissipating fast, and they were running out of room.

"Hey, Minho! What's the sequence! The sections of the Maze, what's the sequence!"

Minho started riddling off numbers, still trying to stay out of the Griever's clutches. The others did their best to help ward them off, but steps were miscalculated and a collective scream of panic was release when one of the Grievers grabbed a hold of Minho's arm and began dragging him away.

"Minho!"

Gathering what little strength they had left, the Gladers fought to free their friend. Cleo's weapon was knocked from her hands, and she ducked to avoid the swinging tail. Navigating around Gladers and Grievers, she reached Minho and grabbed his jacket collar. While they continued to fight the creature, she pulled at the fabric, praying it would do something to help him. Her ankle burned with the excessive amount of pressure being applied but she didn't give up. Stumbling back onto her butt when he was suddenly ripped free. Minho landed on her legs, grunting from the uncomfortable landing. The Griever was on them in seconds, both ready to face their defeat. A battle cry behind them, turned into a painful yelp and then Jeff was gone, distracting the Grievers long enough for Cleo and Minho to be pulled to their feet.

"What's the sequence!" Teresa pressed impatiently.

If it had been any other time, Cleo would have said something sarcastic, reminded the girl that they were a little busy, but they didn't exactly have time. She would be rushing the boy just as quickly. Minho finished off the sequence, and a grinding sound came from above. Metal scraping metal, gears twisting. All the sounds they had come to associate with the Maze.

The surviving Gladers pushed back towards Teresa and Chuck, Grievers crawling after them. Doors began to close, dropping just centimeters behind the large creatures. And then, by some grace of God, the last two remaining doors dropped down on the Grievers pursuing them and they were shrouded in darkness.

There was a click and then a hiss and Cleo could barely make out a faint light. Teresa pushed at the wall and the light grew bigger, revealing a long hallway. Thomas stepped out, the others doing the same. From down the hall, lights flickered on, illuminating the dim hallway.

"Left or right?" Cleo mumbled, looking to Thomas for some kind of guidance.

He glanced back at her, before turning and heading right. She grabbed onto Chuck and followed. When they came to the door at the end, she had to bite her lip to keep herself from laughing. Above it sat a glowing, red sign. It read one, simple, three lettered word.

 **EXIT**

"Seriously?" Frypan scoffed. She was glad someone else had found the sad humor in the sign.

Thomas reached for the door nervously. An alarm was going off from somewhere inside, warning signs that made Cleo's stomach knot together. All the same, she moved with the others, stepping inside.

Dead bodies laid strewn out on the ground at their feet. She covered her mouth in shock, making sure to keep as far away from them as she could. They arrived in a larger room with no better luck. More dead bodies covered the floors, wires hung from the ceilings, sparking with the last remaining bit of electricity. The group spread out, examining the different stations. Something about the room held familiarity to Cleo, but she couldn't quite place it.

The screen beside her light up, suddenly presenting an older woman. She was sitting behind a desk, her hair pulled into a tight bun on the back of her head, face aged with faint wrinkles. She was dressed in all white, posture straight. Definitely carried herself with confidence. Behind her was the same room they were standing in, except filled with men and women in lab coats. Everything seemed to be in order. But it only made Cleo grow more anxious.

* * *

 **One more chapter! This is so crazy! Sorry about the late update. Thanksgiving break was pretty hectic but the last chapter will be up by Thursday! I promise! As always, thanks for reading and hope you are enjoying! Xx**


	11. Author's Note

Okay, so I lied. I wont be able to get the last chapter up today. I'm super duper sorry! Today has been super hectic and I havent had the chance to even think about uploading it until now. But I promise I will have it up first thing tomorrow! Again, super sorry and expect the last chapter tomorrow! Xx


	12. Wicked Is Good

"Hello. My name is Doctor Ava Paige," The others had joined her, staring up at the screen, "I'm Director of Operations of the World Catastrophe Killzone Department. If you're watching this, that means you have successfully completed the Maze Trials. I wish I could be there in person to congratulate you, but circumstances seem to have prevented it. I'm sure by now, you must all be very confused, angry, frustrated. I can only assure you, that everything that's happened to you, everything we've done to you, it was all done for a reason." Cleo thought about George. About Ben and Alby. Everyone that had died.

"You won't remember, but the Sun has scorched our world. Billions of lives lost to fire," Images were displayed on the screen, Cleo found herself cringing, turning away at some points, "Famine, suffering on a global scale. The fallout was unimaginable. What came after was worse. We called it the Flare. A deadly virus that attacks the brain," A man appeared on screen, his body laced with black veins, gums blackened, eyes wild, "It is violent, unpredictable, incurable. Or so we thought," Ava's face returned, "In time, a new generation emerged that could survive the virus. Suddenly, there was a reason to hope for a cure. But finding it would not be easy. The young would have to be tested, even sacrificed inside harsh environments where their brain activity could be studied. All in an effort to understand. What makes them different. What makes y _ou different._ You may not realize it, but you're very important. Unfortunately, your trials have only just begun. And you will no doubt soon discover," Men dressed in black appeared in the room behind her, "Not everyone agrees with our methods. Progress is slow, people are scared," The men in black began massacring the doctors behind her, rounding out the entire unsettling video the teens were watching, "It may be too late for us, for me. But not for you. The outside world awaits. Remember." As she placed the gun to her head, Cleo latched onto Thomas's hand, the air leaving her lungs.

"Wicked is good." She whispered along with the woman, watching her pull the trigger, ending her life. She flinched at the gunshot, eyes closing. Thomas turned to her, but his attention was immediately caught by something behind her. She felt his hand leave her's and her eyes fluttered open, turning to see what had pulled him away. Behind them, sat Ava's office. Her limp body lying beside the desk much like the others that scattered the room around them.

"Is it over?" Chuck asked, weaseling his way back to Cleo's side. She took his hand, squeezing it tightly.

"She said we were important," Newt spoke up, "What are we supposed to do now?"

Thomas shook his head, "I don't know. Let's get out of here."

They turned towards the long corridor, where a door sat, light bleeding in through the small, rectangular window. But they hadn't taken a step before a voice stopped them. Cleo's blood ran cold. She didn't have to look to know who was standing behind them. She turned with the others, heart sinking as her eyes laid on Gally. He was sweating, body trembling. She had seen it before. _Too many times before._

"Gally?" Thomas moved towards him but she reached out, grabbing onto his shoulder.

"Don't. He's been stung."

"We can't leave." His voice shook, eyes full with tears.

"We did. Gally, we're out. We're free." Thomas tried to reason with him.

Gally continued to cry. Everything about him setting off warning signs in Cleo's mind. Her heart was beating wildly, pounding in her ears.

"You think we're free out there? No. No, there's no escape from this place." He lifted his arm, revealing the gun in his grasp. A collective gasp fell from the other's mouths, Cleo's body beginning to shake with fear.

Thomas persisted, stepping closer to the teen. There was nothing they could do for him. Even if Thomas could convince him to go with them. What then? He was still going to die. Like all the others, Gally was going to die. And if Thomas wasn't careful, Gally was going to take him with him.

"I belong to the Maze. "

"Just put down the gun."

"We all do."

Cleo heard the gun shot, saw the spear move through the air just over her shoulder, embedding itself deep in Gally's chest. She watched him sputter out a gasp, dropping to his knees and then onto his side. She heard Chuck's forced groan. Watched Thomas drop to the ground, Chuck in his arms. Felt Newt latch onto her. Her breathing quickened, the world spinning around her. At her feet, Thomas was crying out- screaming out Chuck's name. And then she was being ripped away from her friends. A voice she had never heard before, telling her she was safe now. That she was free. And then a blinding light. Sunlight, brighter than she had ever seen before, burning down on her. She was dragged through sand and lifted into a small, contained space alongside Newt and Minho. Moments later, Thomas came staggering in, panting and wide eyed like the rest of them. The door closed behind him, shutting out the heat. A motor began and they lifted off the ground.

"Relax, kids," A voice cried out, barely audible, "Everything's gonna change."

While the others examined the view from the windows, Cleo shrank back. She pulled her legs into her chest, burying her head in her arms.

 _Chuck's face appeared within the darkness. Smiling widely. He was laughing at something, cheeks red, happy tears collecting in the corner of his eyes. He was looking at her. Smiling at her._

She didn't stop the tears that rolled down her cheeks, the hiccupping sob that escaped her chapped lips. If it hadn't been for her shaking form, she would have gone unnoticed. But soon enough, Thomas's hand wove itself into her own, hanging loosely, as a reminder that she wasn't alone. That she didn't have to be alone. Lifting her head, she turned to him, finding he was crying as well. She rested her head against his shoulder, staring down at the figurine in his hand and let herself cry. Not just for Chuck. But for everyone. For Alby, and Ben. For George and Jeff. For Gally. For the home they had made and left behind. For everyone that wasn't sitting around her, safe and out of the Maze. For everyone that _was_ sitting around her. For herself. Slowly, her body shut itself down and she drifted into a restless sleep.

* * *

 **And there it is! Hope you guys enjoyed it, both this chapter and the story as a whole! I enjoyed writing it and I'm excited for the sequel. I am going to take a little break so expect the sequel up in a couple of weeks. I'm still working on some kinks, editing, revising, rewriting, all that jazz and still working on a title. Thank you so much for reading, following, favoriting, and reviewing! It means so much! You guys are amazing! Thank you again! And see you soon! Xx**


	13. Author's Note 2

Hey guys! This is just a quick little message saying that, if you guys are still invested and interested, the sequel to Within will be posted tomorrow! It's going to be titled What Lies Outside, so look out for it! Thanks so much for reading, reviewing, favoriting, following, all that jazz! It means so so much!


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